Pranav Nair
Transfer News: Blow for Manchester United as Declan Rice accepts West Ham United fate
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United have been handed a major blow in their pursuit of bringing Declan Rice to Old Trafford this summer.
The English international is one of the Hammers best players and was part of the Three Lions squad that made it to the European Championships final. Still just 22, he has the best years of his career ahead of him and looks set to develop into one of the best midfielders in the English game.
While he would have added something fresh to the Red Devils midfield, his immediate future lies in London. West Ham are seeking £90million for his services and even the player knows that it prices him out of a switch elsewhere.
It is not, however, all doom and gloom as he will now get his first taste of European football at club level in the upcoming 2021/22 football season. Led by David Moyes, the Hammers finished an impressive sixth last season, earning themselves a place in the UEFA Europa League.
Rice believes another season under the Scot could help accelerate his growth into a top player. Given what we have seen so far, that could certainly be the case. On the plus side, United now stand the chance to land a much more developed player in the future.
Rice was heavily linked with a return to Chelsea when Frank Lampard was at the Bridge. With Thomas Tuchel now in the hot seat, the Blues have tempered their interest somewhat. This has opened the door for United and Manchester City to make a move.
Both clubs have gone big this summer on English talents. United landed Jadon Sancho while City went all out for Jack Grealish. While Rice would be a welcome addition, it would appear that the battle to land him will have to wait until next summer.
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One could say that a central midfielder is certainly on the agenda at Old Trafford. Apart from Rice, the Red Devils have also been linked with Eduardo Camavinga, Ruben Neves, and Leon Goretzka. Whether any of them will end up at the Theatre of Dreams remains to be seen.
