West Ham ace Declan Rice could finally depart the London Stadium, with Manchester United expected to fight tooth and nail for his services. Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson predicts the move might happen and that the Red Devils will need to “break the bank“.
Manchester United have a longstanding interest in Rice. However, they must lock horns with noisy neighbors Manchester City and European Champions Chelsea FC to sign the Englishman. Recently, Rice has chosen to be represented by his father than his agent.
The midfielder still has 2 years remaining on his deal. West Ham, meanwhile, have an upper hand in negotiations credit to an option to extend by another 12 months. Reportedly, the Hammers will quote £100,000,000 for Rice. This fee is similar to what Manchester City spent to acquire Aston Villa forward Jack Grealish last term.
Paul Merson’s verdict on Manchesrer United links with Declan Rice
Paul Merson feels that the fee could hardly be an obstacle. “I think Declan Rice will be gone this summer,” he said while speaking to Sky Sports. “I think it will be Man Utd, if you’re Man Utd you’ve got to break the bank. If you look at their midfield it is not strong enough, they don’t dominate football matches and for me, they have to go and get him.”
Speaking further on Rice’s capabilities, Merson praises him, calling him “absolutely phenomenal“. He says that as a holding midfielder, Rice likes to bomb forward, score goals and create chances.
Coming to Chelsea, he continued saying that Chelsea could go for him but they did not need to. They have 3 dominating players in the same position – N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, and Mateo Kovacic. However, Manchester United on the other hand does need a midfield boost.
Stamford Bridge or Old Trafford, whichever Rice will choose is still a mystery. Nonetheless, in a defeat to the Red Devils, the Englishman’s comments sparked rumors once more. “I was loving it. Every time I come to Old Trafford, I’ve always said it’s one of my favorite places to play. It is an amazing stadium.“
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