Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United receive transfer boost as West Ham midfielder Declan Rice rejects bumper contract offer
According to The Sun, West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is set to reject a bumper contract offer from the club, in what is a major transfer boost for Manchester United ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window.
Rice is arguably the Hammers’ best player and has remained the most consistent, pulling the strings in midfield for the team. He has also turned into a leader in the squad, taking up the armband from club captain Mark Noble when the veteran does not feature for the side.
His performances for West Ham have seen him pick up interest from United, Manchester City and Chelsea, who are all looking to reinforce their midfield areas at the end of the season. Rice had previously played for the Blues, until he was released from their youth teams as a teenager.
Midfield is an area that the Red Devils are keen to fortify, with their current crop of options failing to make much of an impact this term against stronger opposition. This, coupled with an expected squad overhaul in the summer under Erik ten Hag, makes it necessary for the side to snap up a quality midfielder- especially one that can shield our defence.
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In order to keep their star midfielder at the London Stadium, West Ham have offered Rice a massive £200,000-a-week contract, that will see him commit to the club until 2030. However, the Englishman’s camp sees this £10million-a-year offer as an attempt by club co-owner David Sullivan to appease the crowd.
Rice has no interest in committing the majority of his career to the Irons and is not prepared to agree to a new deal in order to simply increase his wages. The 23-year-old is keener on competing for the Premier League trophy and playing in the Champions League on a regular basis, rather than chasing the money.
Between City, Chelsea, and United, the former two clubs are better positioned to offer Rice the chance to win the league and play regularly in the UCL. The Red Devils have fallen off the trail in the past year, failing to show any fight against the other competing teams.
The current campaign has seen them drop out of the top four of the points table, meaning that Champions League qualification is no longer possible. Further, they are on course to end yet another season without winning any silverware – their fifth year running.
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Despite these drawbacks, Rice’s refusal to sign a new West Ham contract will please the Red Devils in their pursuit of the England international. They are set to usher in a new era under the tutelage of a new manager in Erik ten Hag, who is expected to turn around the fortunes of the club and get the side back to its glory days.
The Manchester side have an exciting new project run by ten Hag beginning this summer, and Rice could perhaps be tempted to join a new-look team next term. He could potentially be the face of the central midfield area in the squad, which other clubs may not be able to guarantee. Only time will tell where the player will end up, or if he chooses to remain with the Hammers.
