Manchester United have been urged to use Jesse Lingard to prise away Declan Rice from West Ham United while Brandon Williams is still a loan target for Newcastle.
Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, former Premier League striker Peter Crouch has advised Manchester United to consider the possibility of using Jesse Lingard as a makeweight in a deal to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United.
Rice has grown into one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League over the past couple of years. The England international had been heavily linked with a move to Chelsea last summer but a move did not materialise. Having stayed put at West Ham, the 22-year-old has played a huge role in the club’s surprise push for the top four.
Rice’s growth at the London Stadium has attracted interest from Manchester United, as well as Liverpool, with both clubs reported to have made contact with his representatives. Now, Crouch has claimed the Red Devils should consider using Lingard as a potential makeweight in an attempt to sign Rice in the summer.
Lingard, having endured a torrid past twelve months at Manchester United, made the switch to West Ham on loan last month. And the Red Devils’ academy man has thrived under David Moyes, aiding the Hammers’ push for the Champions League spots.
And Crouch reckons that a permanent move to West Ham would make sense for the Englishman while Manchester United need a player like Rice in their ranks. “Lingard needs to get away as his time at Old Trafford is up, while Rice is the kind of player United need to add. Would West Ham do that deal? I’m not so sure,” he notes.
Manchester United have largely used Fred and Scott McTominay as their defensive midfielders this season, slowly phasing out veteran star Nemanja Matic. The Serb is in the final legs of his career at Old Trafford and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will need a long-term replacement for him, making Rice a viable candidate.
Last summer, West Ham had demanded a transfer fee of £80 million for Rice from Chelsea and are unlikely to budge on that valuation, if they do agree to negotiate a move, which in itself is a doubt, more so if they qualify for the Champions League. Including Lingard in any potential deal could help bring that asking price down.
It remains to be seen if there is any major development on this front between now and the next season. For now, both Rice and Lingard are thriving and West Ham are reaping the benefits.
Brandon Williams remains on Newcastle United’s radars
Meanwhile, another Manchester United academy graduate, Brandon Williams, continues to attract the interest of fellow Premier League club Newcastle United, according to a report from Chronicle Live.
The young full-back enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2019/20 but has struggled for playing time in the ongoing campaign. Following the arrival of Alex Telles and the resurgence of Luke Shaw, Williams has largely been relegated to the bench, making only a handful of appearances, a few of which have come at right-back.
Williams had been heavily linked with a loan exit from Manchester United last summer as well as in the January window, with Newcastle said to be interested. A move, however, never came to be. And, with the Red Devils in the market for a new right-back in the summer, the 20-year-old’s prospects of playing regularly might further diminish.
And, as per the aforementioned report, Newcastle might revisit their interest in Williams once again before the next season. the Magpies are in a difficult situation financially and will not have a big transfer kitty come summer. As a result, they are looking at loan deals and free transfers, making the 20-year-old a viable target.
Solskjaer & co. rate Williams very highly, However, with his development likely to stall without regular game-time, it will be interesting to see whether they will let him leave on loan for next season.