Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is reportedly unhappy with the takeover delay, which has foiled his plans of signing West Ham midfielder and Arsenal target Declan Rice.
According to The Sun, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is frustrated that the takeover situation is affecting his plan to sign West Ham captain Declan Rice, with Arsenal currently leading the race for the England international’s signature.
Rice has emerged as a target for most of the top clubs in England after another stellar season in which he helped West Ham avoid relegation and win the Europa Conference League. And Man Utd are no different, having been repeatedly linked with the England star in the past.
The Red Devils boss planned to land two new midfield signings in the current transfer window. Chelsea’s Mason Mount is one of the priority targets, and it appears Mount’s best mate Rice is the other one.
As per The Sun, Ten Hag has identified the 24-year-old as the perfect addition to his squad, and has been pushing the Red Devils to make a transfer offer to the Irons. However, that has not been possible amid the protracted takeover saga, leaving Premier League rivals Arsenal in “pole position” to land the highly-rated midfielder.
The Glazers placed United up for sale in November, but the situation is yet to be resolved. Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe, among other parties, are in the running to take over the Premier League giants.
Recently Sheikh Jassim’s Nine Two UK Holdings Limited surfaced on the official government’s Companies House website, which fuelled rumours that the club’s Qatari takeover was imminent. However, a report from The Times, later suggested there is a concern the saga will not conclude until after the summer transfer window, casting serious doubt on Ten Hag’s transfer plans.
The Glazers will not hand the United boss a huge transfer kitty if they are selling up, even though some funds will be made available for new players. Ten Hag’s hands are tied at the moment with no significant funds to spend on key targets, with the club backing out of Harry Kane’s pursuit, losing out on top defensive target Kim Min-jae to Bayern, and making low-ball bids for other targets Rasmus Hojlund and Mount.
The Hammers are currently looking for a package of more than £100 million for their prized asset, and with limited budget, Ten Hag cannot afford to blow his entire budget on one player as other positions also need to be addressed.
As alluded to above, Arsenal are leading the race for Rice, although recent reports suggest Manchester City are hoping to hijack the Gunners’ deal and bring the West Ham captain to the Etihad Stadium instead.
For several months Arsenal have been optimistic of winning the race to sign Rice, with Mikel Arteta keen to bolster his midfield options after the Gunners’ challenged for the title last season.
They even lodged the first bid for Rice earlier this week but West Ham swiftly rebuffed the unimpressive offer, which was reportedly worth around £80 million plus add-ons. The Gunners are expected to return with an improved bid and it is believed that Rice still favours a move to the Emirates Stadium over others.
