Declan Rice

[FantasyIreland]

I could see Arsenal and Chelsea competing for his signature, but I just don’t see us going for him unless we decide to shift Phillips on, at which point he would be more Rodri’s understudy than Gundogan’s replacement. Would he want that? Would we need that? I know people will say he’s highly versatile, but to my palate rice is rice…

No,he is far too good to play second fiddle in the DM role.

This alternative to Bellingham nonsense is exactly that.

 

[Gabriel]

Rice does have the benefit of being a genuinely good centre half though, so as well as deputising for Rodri he could also rotate with Stones, or allow Stones to actually play as a centre half if required.

Don’t disagree with that and all good points, but it still doesn’t make him any more an appealing alternative to Gundogan or Bernardo, should we lose either.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Don’t disagree with that and all good points, but it still doesn’t make him any more an appealing alternative to Gundogan or Bernardo, should we lose either.

I can't think of anyone who would replace either of these and would be an upgrade. And at the moment I haven't seen enough of Rice to think he's as good!

 

[Brewster's millions]

Don’t disagree with that and all good points, but it still doesn’t make him any more an appealing alternative to Gundogan or Bernardo, should we lose either.

True - maybe Rice should be seen as alternative to Gvardiol rather than a replacement for those two.

Given how much Pep likes to innovate with his back four though, I can see Rice appealing to him given how he can play at the back and in the middle.

 

[Gabriel]

No,he is far too good to play second fiddle in the DM role.

This alternative to Bellingham nonsense is exactly that.

I agree. If it isn’t to be Bellingham, then I think we may have to look at someone else who is more in the mould of Gundogan as opposed to rejigging the team.

Part of the difficulty of having such high quality players, however, is that it becomes increasingly difficult to find direct replacements at the required level, and that includes Bellingham.

 

[Gabriel]

I can't think of anyone who would replace either of these and would be an upgrade.

Certainly not immediately, which is one reason why I think we’ll do everything we can to keep them with us next season. That would allow us to give Bellingham a conditioning season, should he sign, but even if we did keep both, we may (depending on how this season ends) still feel a need to sign someone in midfield who can come into the team immediately. At that point, then players of the ilk of Paqueta or Kovatic would make greater sense.

 

[Dribble]

I agree. If it isn’t to be Bellingham, then I think we may have to look at someone else who is more in the mould of Gundogan as opposed to rejigging the team.

Part of the difficulty of having such high quality players, however, is that it becomes increasingly difficult to find direct replacements at the required level, and that includes Bellingham.

Mate, it's not exactly a surprise to City that Gundog's 32 & his contract is ending in the summer. We'll have been making provisions for this scenario for a season or two.

If it's one thing I've learned is we'll never get a verbatim like for like replacement for Gundog. We didn't for Yaya, Silva, Kompany, Aguero or Fernandinho.

We've replaced them with different, not better or worse, just different & I'm sure we'll do the same with Gundog, & as we've done in the past the team will evolve accordingly.

 

[rodders]

How many times have we heard, we don't want to run rodders into the ground, an injury to him and we're goosed.

Rice would be the perfect fit to rotate with rodders, learn the ropes, and completely shut down the opposition if the need arises. Very versatile player. We play 60+ games every season and challenge for practically every trophy. We need quality in depth. Rice stands out a mile every time I've seen him play.

Great business if we could bag him for 40-60m with kalvin going the other way and we'd have loads left over to strengthen elsewhere.

 

[Gabriel]

Mate, it's not exactly a surprise to City that Gundog's 32 & his contract is ending in the summer. We'll have been making provisions for this scenario for a season or two.

If it's one thing I've learned is we'll never get a verbatim like for like replacement for Gundog. We didn't for Yaya, Silva, Kompany, Aguero or Fernandinho.

We've replaced them with different, not better or worse, just different & I'm sure we'll do the same with Gundog, & as we've done in the past the team will evolve accordingly.

Of that I have little doubt, but we also know that nobody has come into Guardiola’s midfield and started to play there without requiring a season of conditioning, and that includes Rodri and Bernardo. As you say, we’ll evolve, but it sometimes happens with stasis. After all, we knew Fernandinho was coming to the end of his career but we arguably delayed in dealing with that eventuality a little too long; some might reasonably say that we still haven’t.

Not fretting or complaining, just wondering how we’ll evolve next. :-)

 

[Gundogan's Moustache]

I think he is capable of playing as an 8, we just havent seen it yet as it hasn’t been allowed at West Ham and England