‘Incredible’ Mateo Kovacic hands Declan Rice another Man City transfer incentive

The arrival of Mateo Kovacic at Manchester City is useful in more ways than one. Not only does he bring quality and experience, but also potential pulling power. It’s a theme that runs through most of the City squad - quality attracts quality.

Pep Guardiola may be whispering in the ear of Kovacic, urging him to have a quiet word with Croatia teammate Josko Gvardiol amid reported interest. Meanwhile, it seems Declan Rice is also in the sights of the City boss.

Rice was filmed proudly showing off his shirt collection last year amid a surprise visit from Yaya Toure ending in another jersey added to the collection. It would be reasonable to suggest that he had at least tried to nab Kovacic’s Chelsea top at some stage.

The West Ham captain sang the praises of his midfield counterpart in February last year, waxing lyrical about the qualities he admires in the 29-year-old and naming him in the top five Premier League midfielders. “He is incredible. I think you don’t really realise how good he is until you play against him,” Rice explained.

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“Obviously, when you watch him, you appreciate the good footballer that he is. He can take the ball in tight areas, his dribbling ability is unbelievable, he can find a pass, control games, and is fairly quick as well.

“He’s always been a tough opponent to play against. Every time I played against him, even in the Euros, he’s done some stuff on the ball where I thought, ‘wow, he’s a top player’.”

Rice has on several occasions underlined his desire to play for the big honours, including the Champions League. A move to holders City would see him fulfil that ambition.

Furthermore, four-time Champions League