Anton Ferdinand has urged Declan rice to snub a move to Manchester United, insisting a stay at West Ham United could be better than moving to Old Trafford.
Declan Rice continues to grab headlines after recent reports insisted that the English midfielder is not willing to sign a new deal with West Ham United. The Londoners were prompted to offer a new contract amid heavy interest from suitors for the England international.
Manchester United are tipped to sign Rice when the summer transfer window opens, despite David Moyes recently insisting Rice could cost around £150 million. The English international has two years left on his deal, with West Ham holding the option for a further season.
Rice has been urged to leave West Ham for pastures new, with Chelsea reportedly among the favourites to sign him before their problems with the UK Government sanctions. There could be a chance for the Blues to come into contention, although their priority is to bring in central defenders.
There were eyeballs from Liverpool, who have since ended their pursuit due to the high costs involved in the potential deal for Rice. That leaves Manchester United as one of the front-runners to sign and possibly the only club realistically in the race for the West Ham midfielder.
Former QPR and West Ham defender Anton Ferdinand has cautioned Rice from signing for Manchester United. He told The Sun that the English international could be better off staying put at West Ham than moving to Old Trafford, citing their recent fall in stature as the primary reason.
Ferdinand said, “Man Utd isn’t the place to go right now. They’re going through a massive transitional period. For me personally, if I’m Rice, Man Utd is not a place that I’d be going. I’d wait a few years and see what Ten Hag does.”
“Whether he can implement what he did at Ajax at Man Utd and get them looking more like a team that can challenge. Otherwise, what’s the point in leaving West Ham to go somewhere you’re not even challenging for a title.”
Ferdinand explained that Rice could achieve more in domestic and European competition with the Hammers being their main man. He insisted the English midfielder could be just another player at Manchester United if he moved to Old Trafford.
Ferdinand continued, “You’re challenging to get into Europe. That’s what West Ham are doing – challenging to get into the Champions League. We’ve got something to build on. He’d be in the same place at Man Utd, and all it would come down to is the stature of the football club.”
“As a footballer myself, I’m not going somewhere, just because it’s a bigger club. You’ve got everything at a club where you’re loved, and you’re the main man. At Man Utd, you’ll be one of many. Whereas, you can stay at West Ham and challenge for Europe and be the main man.”
West Ham’s huge asking price has put most clubs out of the race to sign Rice, and financially, only Manchester United can compete for his signature in the summer. The Red Devils are interested, but splashing around £150 million on one player is something they might not have in their plans, and they might look at alternatives to the England international.
