According to the latest reports, Premier League giants Manchester United are prepared to make a £50m offer to sign West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice in the upcoming summer transfer window. The Red Devils want to bolster their squad for next season and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be handed transfer funds to bring in players that he wants to improve the team.
Manchester United were in quite the shambles at the start of the season when Jose Mourinho was in charge of the club. The 56-year-old manager instilled a very defensive philosophy into the club which the loyal fans did not take very kindly. The ‘Special One’ received the sack in December after a string of poor results and United turned to a familiar face in the form of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to take over the reins at least until the end of the season.
The Norwegian has exceeded expectations since arriving at Old Trafford as a caretaker and helped the club reach the Champions League quarter-finals after an incredible tie in dramatic fashion against Paris Saint Germain in the Round of 16 of the tournament. The Red Devils are also competing for a Champions League berth by trying to qualify inside the top 4 of the Premier League team, something that looked unlikely under Mourinho’s reign. These impressive performances made Manchester United give Solskjaer the Manchester United job on a permanent basis and 46-year-old is now keen to build his squad for the future to win and compete for silverware.
One player that Manchester United are targeting for the summer transfer window is West Ham midfielder Declan Rice. 20-year-old could replace the aging Nemanja Matic who is no longer at his best and mainly inconsistent. The Serbian will turn 31 years old in a few months and his days as a world-class holding midfielder seem long gone. He is too slow in the middle of the pitch and Rice will be a certain upgrade over Matic as he is quicker, more talented and has more potential in his ability. Rice could be a long-term replacement for Matic but it will be difficult to lure him to Old Trafford in the summer transfer window.
However, Bale has priced himself out of a potential move to Manchester United, as the Premier League side would rather invest in Jadon Sancho, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Declan Rice. (Star) pic.twitter.com/TjOhzAIzUh
— bethel sports updates (@Sefa_sports) April 6, 2019
Rice has excelled big time over the past few months under Manuel Pellegrini and has been catching the eye of many top clubs in Europe. Most recently, Solskjaer was left impressed by the midfielder’s duties when West Ham visited Old Trafford on Saturday. Although the red half of Manchester ended up winning the game 2-1, West Ham looked like they deserved something from the game and Rice was outstanding in the centre of the park. The midfielder could set Manchester United back by £50m.
These incredible outings for West Ham have given Rice a call-up to the national side under Gareth Southgate as well. Rice recently changed his playing nation to the Three Lions after deciding to quit Northern Ireland, as he felt that it would be great for his career in the long-run. Whether the Manchester based side will be able to sign him or not, remains to be seen.
