Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly sent a scout to watch West Ham United star Declan Rice as he considers a summer swoop.
As per a report from the Daily Mail, Manchester United have reignited their interest in West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice and are considering a summer move, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sending a scout to monitor the England international this past week.
The 21-year-old’s fortunes have been on the rise over the past year or so, with the midfielder emerging as one of West Ham’s best players last season. Rice endured a difficult start to the 2019-20 campaign, but has shown signs of being back at his best in recent weeks. The midfielder has racked up 21 appearances for West Ham this term with a solitary assist to his name.
Rice had been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United this past summer, but no move materialised at the time. However, the Red Devils have been found wanting in the midfield department in the ongoing season.
Moreover, Nemanja Matic’s contract will expire at the end of the season, while Paul Pogba also faces an uncertain future at the club. This has led to Solskjaer looking at reinforcements in the centre of the park, with Rice being at the top of their priority list again. To that end, Solskjaer sent his scout Simon Wells to watch Rice in action when West Ham faced Sheffield United on Friday.
Wells, as per the report, is Solskjaer’s most trusted scout and is tasked with focusing solely on players who will improve the Manchester United first-team. It is understood that he reports directly to the Norwegian. With Wells in audience, Rice put in a solid shift against Sheffield United, impressing with his crunching tackles and defensive nous.
The 21-year-old Rice, who has been capped seven times by the England national team, is contracted with West Ham United till the summer of 2024, with an option to extend it by a further twelve months, which is bound to give the Hammers the upper hand in any negotiations.
It remains to be seen if Manchester United decide to act on their interest in Rice come summer or pursue alternate targets, with Ligue 1 youngster Boubakary Soumare touted to be on the radars of the club.
