Manchester United will continue to monitor Declan Rice, hoping to snap him up in the next summer transfer window.
According to an exclusive report from ESPN, Manchester United have retained their interest in Declan Rice. The Premier League giants were among the clubs interested in the West Ham midfielder for a long time, but a move did not materialise in the summer.
The failure to sign a new defensive midfielder has caused a furore among the fans on social media and even the pundits, with former Aston Villa striker Gabi Agbonlahor even going on to rule Man United out of the title race due to the lack of a proper number six this season.
However, after an excellent summer transfer window that saw them snap up quality stars like Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, before completing the sensational return of Cristiano Ronaldo, it appears the Red Devils are finally ready to set their sights on a new defensive midfielder.
It has been identified as one of the priorities in the next summer transfer window, with Rice emerging as a priority target. It is a no-brainer as the West Ham prodigy has enjoyed stellar success in the Premier League over the past three years and risen into one of the leaders for his club and country.
Although Rice remains committed to playing for West Ham and is even open to signing a contract extension, he is also gunning for a release clause that will enable him to leave the club next summer. It has put his future in London under doubt, and there is a growing belief in the Manchester United camp that the Hammers will be forced to lower their demands for the midfielder.
At Old Trafford, the English international will certainly be an upgrade over the likes of Fred and Nemanja Matic, who simply haven’t provided enough quality to the table and could be a weak link in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s setup this season.
However, Manchester United are set to face stiff competition from their league rivals in the pursuit of Declan Rice. In addition to the Red Devils, the West Ham starlet is reportedly courted by Chelsea and Manchester City next summer, so at the end of the day, a lot could depend on which one of these clubs end up garnering more success during the 2021/22 campaign.
