Manchester City are interested in the services of West Ham United captain Declan Rice, per reports.

Manchester City transfer news – What's the latest on Declan Rice?

According to Sky Sports Italy reporter and transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, Rice is "getting closer to" signing for Manchester City, who now have "confidence to reach a final agreement with West Ham."

The update comes after David Ornstein broke the news yesterday morning that the Citizens were "expected to submit an offer" to "rival Arsenal" for the England international.

The Premier League champions entering the race for Rice's signature has been an unexpected development.

Following David Sullivan's confirmation that his skipper would be leaving in the summer, it appeared that Mikel Arteta's side had been in the driving seat.

However, disagreements over fees and payment structure for the £120m-valued star seem to have left the door open for other teams to enter the race, and with the departure of Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona this week, midfield reinforcements will be needed at the Etihad.

Could Declan Rice be the next Sergio Busquets under Pep Guardiola?

It's a massive question to ask of the 24-year-old.

Sergio Busquets is considered by many pundits and fans alike to be one of the best, if not the best defensive midfielder of the last two decades.

He was certainly a key figure under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola for four years, with the City boss being the man to unearth him from the famed La Masia academy back in 2008. Now, the Spaniard could find his next version of the colossal defensive midfielder in Rice, given the aforementioned reports.

With the massive potential West Ham's "monster" has, as once described by ESPN's David Cartlidge, Rice could certainly get close to emulating Busquets at the Etihad.

Former City legend Sergio Aguero believes the Hammers "destroyer" – who Paul Robinson previously hailed – is already at the level of the legendary Barcelona man.

Speaking to Stake (via football365), he said:

"For me, he is a great player and is at the same level as the best midfielders like Busquets, Rodri and Casemiro. But he has proven himself and I think he is one of the strengths of the England team at the World Cup."

His supporters also seem to think there is more than a passing similarity, dubbing him 'Basmati Busquets.'

The first comparison to make between the players is their physical characteristics.

There is little between them in terms of height, with West Ham's gem coming in at 6 foot 1, whereas the Spanish icon is ever so slightly taller at 6 foot 2. However, when it comes to their weight, the Kingston upon Thames-born titan has a slight advantage, coming in at 80kg compared to between 76-78kg for Busquets.

That may not seem like a massive difference, but it certainly helps in the more physical Premier League.

There is little to separate their seasons last year, either.

According to WhoScored, the Sabadell-born midfielder averaged a rating of 6.99 across his 30 La Liga games, whereas Rice averaged 7.01 across his 37 games.

What about their underlying numbers? Can we differentiate them that way?

Well, according to FBref, despite the La Masia graduate carrying the ball 52.6 times per 90 to Rice's 35, it's the Englishman who consistently moves the ball further into the oppositions half, averaging a progressive distance of 112.7 yards per 90 compared to Busquets 97.6.

It highlights one of the differences between the players, a contrast dictated by the system in which they have played most of their football.

Barcelona have always been more expressive, more about passing and moving, hypnotising the opponent with a dizzying array of passes, whereas, under David Moyes, the more rigid east London outfit have been far more direct, even counter-attacking at times, which Rice to be less expressive with his passing and instead focus more on driving at opponents to unsettle them.

That's not to say he couldn't work in a quick passing system as also, per FBref, he sits at a pass completion rate of 86.9%, just slightly behind Busquets on 89.3%.

The dynamic midfielder has also made no secret of his admiration for the World Cup winner, saying:

"Busquets is the one I've watched since I was a kid. He doesn't move from the centre circle. He plays with 360 vision."

Whether Rice comes to emulate Busquets completely or not, under Guardiola, he would certainly become a scary proposition for opponents.