Manchester United have reportedly joined the race for West Ham United midfielder and captain Declan Rice, as they look to beat Arsenal to the England starlet.
According to Football Insider, Manchester United have emerged as a serious contender in the race to sign West Ham star Declan Rice, a top transfer target for Arsenal, this summer as Erik ten Hag looks to strengthen his midfield in the summer transfer window.
The Red Devils enjoyed a pretty successful 2022–23 campaign under manager Erik ten Hag. They won the Carabao Cup and also qualified for the Champions League, while also reaching the FA Cup final, where they were narrowly beaten 2-1 by city rivals Manchester City.
The Dutchman will be eyeing financial backing from the hierarchy this summer, and though a new striker is United’s top priority this summer, with talks being opened with Rasmus Hojlund, Erik ten Hag would also like to add a few quality midfielders to his ranks to take the team to the next level after a promising first year in charge at Old Trafford.
As such, Personal terms have already been agreed with £70 million-rated England international Mason Mount, but United still have to finalise a transfer fee with the Blues for his services. Mount was linked with a move to join Arsenal earlier this summer, but it looks like the Englishman is on his way to Old Trafford now instead.
Now, Erik ten Hag’s side looks to have devised a plan to steal the march on another of the Gunners’ top targets, Declan Rice, who happens to be best friends with Mount.
The West Ham skipper looks set to be at the centre of this summer’s highly anticipated transfer tug-of-war, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich all circling around to secure the services of the versatile midfielder.
After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title, Arsenal appears to be favourites for Rice’s signature and will step up talks after next week’s Europa Conference League final.
Midfield is thought to be the primary area of improvement for Mikel Arteta’s side, with Granit Xhaka set to leave the club and extra strength in depth needed after the title race exposed their lack of numbers in the engine room.
It’s understood that West Ham would be willing to sell Rice this summer but are seeking a transfer fee in excess of £100 million for the 24-year-old. Rice is valued at £80–85 million by Arsenal, with his contract set to expire next summer. What’s more, the player has indicated that he wants to stay in London and would leap at the opportunity to join Arsenal.
However, the haggling over transfer fees in negotiations have kept the door open for other suitors to enter the race. Rice has been on Manchester United’s radar for a number of years, and the Red Devils have now decided to accelerate their move to get him.
United are said to be prepared to come closer to West Ham’s asking price, which complicates Arsenal’s discussions. They could also use long-term Hammers’ target Scott McTominay as a makeweight to land Rice.
Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, is understood to have spoken to Rice over the phone and tried to convince him to move to Bavaria, though the England international prefers to stay in the Premier League.
