Recent reports from Manchester Evening News suggest that Manchester United are keen on signing West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice in the 2022/23 summer transfer window as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks set to add to his options at the centre of the park.
‘The Manchester Evening News understands United figures have already discussed the potential framework for a deal to sign Rice, 22, from West Ham.’ – The report stated.
The England international’s current contract at London Stadium runs until 2024; however, West Ham would be under pressure to sell him for the best possible value next season as he hasn’t shown any significant interest in penning down an extension.
Manchester United have been in the market for a game-changing defensive midfielder for a long time now, but Solskjaer had to settle for Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo this summer. Furthermore, the lack of activity on the departure front stopped them from strengthening the midfield department.
Nonetheless, the situation can change soon as The Red Devils have already started working towards signing Declan Rice next year.
Declan Rice – A Leader Among Men
The 22-year-old midfielder has constantly been exhibiting commanding displays at the heart of West Ham’s midfield for almost half a decade now – retaining possession, putting clean tackles, neutralising opposition counter-attacks, and making numerous crucial clearances to help his side at the centre of the park. Although he struggles with the decision making in the other half of the pitch, his contributions as a holding midfielder have been of utmost importance to his club and country over the years.
In 32 Premier League appearances under David Moyes last season, the London-born talent managed to put up some impressive numbers on the board – averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.1 clearances and 2.3 long balls per 90 minutes. Moreover, with a pass success rate of 88%, Rice established himself as one of the best passers in his team. Flipping over to the offensive side, the 22-year-old averaged 0.8 shots, 0.7 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game – quite impressive for someone who didn’t participate in attacks too often.
As evident from the statistics mentioned above, Rice would be an amazing addition to any top European side at the moment.
What Will The Englishman Add To Solskjaer’s Side?
Fred’s horrific performance in United’s narrow 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers proved yet again why the Brazilian cannot be trusted in the holding midfield role on a weekly basis.
On the other hand, 34-year-old Nemanja Matic struggles to keep up with the pace of the game after the 60-minute-mark. Manchester United are in desperate need of a world-class defensive midfielder at the moment – and Declan Rice fits the bill. He will be the ideal long-term acquisition for the Red Devils as he ticks all the boxes required to enhance the overall quality of United’s starting eleven.
(Stats from WhoScored)
