In a recent report, ESPN revealed that West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is still on Manchester United’s radar this summer. It is understood that the Red Devils remain keen on acquiring the services of the Hammers star despite not opting to make a move for him last summer.
Rice’s Impressive Form At The English Capital Last Season
Rice enjoyed a decent run of form at the London Stadium last season as he continued to excel at the heart of David Moyes’ midfield. The 22-year-old featured in 35 matches for the East London club in the previous campaign, netting two goals and securing one assist in all competitions.
The England international proved his worth as a holding midfielder by averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.1 clearances, 0.8 shots, 0.7 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per game in the Premier League. He even distributed the ball with conviction after making 88% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
Rice is currently playing some of his best football, so Man United can expect him to make an instant impact at Old Trafford if they can convince the Hammers to part ways with their prized asset in January or next summer.
Can The Hammers Afford To Lose Rice?
Rice is a tough-tackling midfielder who loves to get stuck in with some crunching challenges and make life difficult for the opposition at the centre of the park. He has got the hunger to secure the ball back for his team and can make some important clearances at the back when the opposition are on the front foot. The Three Lions star is also a good passer of the ball but needs to work on improving his offensive numbers if he wants to taste success at the highest level.
At the moment, Rice is one of the first names in David Moyes’ teamsheet. Plus, he seems to have formed a terrific midfield partnership with Tomas Soucek at the London Stadium over the past 12 months. Therefore, West Ham simply cannot afford to lose him to Manchester United as he remains an irreplaceable member of Moyes’ first team.
Rice’s current deal with the Hammers is set to run out in the summer of 2024 which is why the London outfit should not entertain any offers for him during the January transfer window or at the end of this campaign.
