Report: West Ham want over £50m for Manchester City target Declan Rice

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Manchester City are reportedly plotting a move for Declan Rice, but West Ham United will demand an eye-watering fee for the youngster.

According to a report from The Sun, Manchester City are looking to sign Declan Rice as Fernandinho’s successor, but they will have to part with over £50 million if they wish to sign the West Ham starlet.

Rice is one of the brightest youngsters anywhere in the Premier League. He has been a revelation since bursting into the Hammers’ first-team as a centre-back, and seems to have kicked on significantly since moving slightly further forward.

Unsurprisingly, his form has not gone unnoticed. The Sun reports that City are planning for life without the Brazilian, and have earmarked Rice as the player that they would ideally want to come in and take over from the 33-year-old.

The Sun adds that Pep Guardiola is planning to monitor the Hammers youngster for the rest of the campaign, but would like to have the two men in the same squad for one season before Rice takes over from the veteran.

However, having recently got the youngster to sign a new contract, West Ham are not prepared to let Rice go without a fight, and The Sun reports that they will demand at least £50 million for the academy graduate.

It would be a superb statement if the Hammers could reject City’s advances and keep the 19-year-old for the coming years. He appears destined to have a brilliant career, so the Irons should be looking to keep him at all costs.

Rice is one of the players that is helping West Ham lay the foundations that could potentially allow them to rise up the table over the next few seasons. Losing him in the near future therefore, would be a massive blow.