According to a recent report by The Daily Mail, Manchester United are hoping to orchestrate a move to acquire the signature of Declan Rice from West Ham United at the end of this campaign. The same source has also claimed that the Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sent his personal scout, Simon Wells to catch the England international in action for the Hammers in their narrow 1-0 defeat away at Sheffield United on Friday.
Rice’s Difficult Season With The Hammers Thus Far
It is understood that Rice is one of the top names in Man United’s summer wishlist despite his underwhelming season at the London Stadium thus far (via The Daily Mail). The 21-year-old has endured a lacklustre first half of this campaign which led to Manuel Pellegrini’s sacking last month. However, the West Ham midfielder has regained some form under the club’s new manager, David Moyes over the past couple of weeks.
Rice has featured in 21 matches for the East London outfit this term and has one assist to his name across all competitions. He has averaged 3.2 tackles, 2.1 interceptions, 1.2 clearances, 0.6 shots, 0.4 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game in the Premier League so far (stats via whoscored).
The London-born prospect has also earned seven senior caps for Gareth Southgate’s England national side but is yet to open his goal-scoring account for the Three Lions.
What Will The English Rising Star Bring To The Theatre Of Dreams?
Rice is a tough-tacking midfielder who loves to get stuck in with a few challenges to win the ball back for his team. He is a tireless worker at the centre of the park and has shown over the past couple of seasons that he can provide adequate protection for the Hammers backline. The English sensation can also read the danger quicker than most others and can make some vital last-gasp clearances for his side.
Recruiting a midfielder of Rice’s potential will undeniably be a massive coup for Solskjaer as he will add some steel to the Man United midfield. Paul Pogba has missed a significant chunk of this season due to injury and faces an uncertain future at Old Trafford. Meanwhile, Scott McTominay, Fred and Nemanja Matic have all struggled to find consistency in terms of their performances on the field.
Therefore, Rice will be an upgrade over any of their current holding midfield options. Hence, it makes sense for the Red Devils to go all out in pursuit of the England international’s services next summer.
