Aniket Rai
Transfer News: Manchester United make Declan Rice of West Ham a priority target
According to transfer news from The Independent (h/t Tribal Football), Manchester United chiefs have agreed to make West Ham United’s Declan Rice their priority target for 2022.
The English midfielder has had a stellar year at the London Stadium, which saw him make the starting XI for Gareth Southgate’s England side on a regular basis in the 2020 UEFA European Championship.
The report adds that Rice is viewed as the ‘missing piece‘ at Old Trafford after a triple summer coup. The Red Devils signed Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho from Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund respectively before the start of this season.
The biggest arrival came in the closing stages of the window. Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford after 12 long years, and has hit the ground running with goals in the league as well as the UEFA Champions League.
Rice at United?
But nevertheless, the feeling of lacking a truly top defensive midfielder has prevailed amongst the fanbase. Paul Pogba is already in the last year of his contract and his future remains up in the air.
Scott McTominay has been unavailable for a few games due to injury this season, while Fred and Nemanja Matic leave much to be desired on the pitch at times. Amidst this, Rice would be a smart coup for the Red Devils.
The 22-year-old was, however, valued at a massive £100million by the Hammers this summer. That kind of money would not be easy for any team in the world to come up with.
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And West Ham can continue to hold the upper hand in any future negotiations considering they have the option to further extend Rice’s contract by one year to 2025.
