West Ham midfielder Declan Rice admits Old Trafford is one of his ‘favourite places’ as Manchester United eye him up for summer swoop
As per the Daily Mail, West Ham United star Declan Rice opened up on his love of playing at Old Trafford, further adding fuel to the fire to transfer links of him moving to Manchester United. The Hammers player has long been speculated as a target for the Red Devils.
Despite narrowly losing to Man United by a single goal last night, Rice was arguably West Ham’s best player on the pitch. The stand-in skipper led by example and ran the show from the middle of the park for the Hammers. The midfielder gave it his all during the game but had to settle for a defeat after Marcus Rashford ruined all his efforts with a last-minute goal.
Rice passed a potential audition at Old Trafford with a fine performance, and the England international admitted after the match that the Theatre of Dreams is one of his favourite places to play. Hopefully, he will be calling it home come next summer.
“I was loving it. Every time I come to Old Trafford, I’ve always said it’s one of my favourite places to play. It’s an amazing stadium.”
The 23-year-old’s remarks would have sent Red Devils fans into a frenzy, as the club has been keen to sign the highly-rated midfielder. The Athletic [Subscription Required] have linked Rice to a move to Man United, saying that the West Ham star is one of many potential midfield talents identified by the Manchester club ahead of next summer.
It is no secret that the Red Devils are desperate for reinforcements in the middle of the park, with the midfield being a weak link for quite some time now. The Red Devils need someone in midfield who can shield the defence as well as be the man to link play between the forwards and the backline. In Rice, they have targeted someone who boasts Premier League as well as international experience on the big stage.
Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham is understood to be Man United’s first choice, but since he would be difficult to prise away in the summer, they could instead move for Rice. Despite his comments after the game, the Hammers star later took to social media to thank the West Ham fans for their support at Old Trafford.
“Our fans were incredible today. Thank you for your support yet again! Gutted to lose the game like we did. We will keep pushing.”
In what was touted to be his audition at Old Trafford, Rice certainly seemed to have taken up the challenge, urging his team on and protecting his rearguard from waves of Man United attacks. West Ham were resilient in defence, and Rice had a big role to play in the way they played away from home and almost escaped with a point.
If the links to him moving to Old Trafford are true, then we will have gained a highly rated star who at only 23, has made a name for himself in England’s top flight as well as led his club as captain, in the absence of Mark Noble. A midfield warrior and leader, he fits the criteria we should be aiming for in a midfield target.
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West Ham are sure to quote a ridiculously high fee for him in the summer, with reports of the Englishman being valued at £100m. It remains to be seen whether we will move for him given his high price tag.
Rice’s comments about playing at Old Trafford could either be viewed as a come-and-get-me plea from the player, or just his genuine appreciation for playing in one of the world’s football’s legendary stadiums. This summer is sure to be interesting as we chase the Hammers star, and he seems to already have gotten tongues wagging in the buildup to a potential mega transfer deal.
