Manchester United are interested in signing West Ham midfielder Declan Rice and are prepared to ‘break the bank’ for his services according to reports.
The West Ham youngster has had a stellar rise to prominence this season, with Manuel Pellegrini transforming him from a centre-back into a regular in the heart of the Hammers midfield.
He has started 29 of West Ham’s 33 Premier League games this season, including tonight’s 2-0 defeat against Chelsea, with his form prompting an international tug-of-war earlier this season, with the 20-year-old controversially switching allegiances from the Republic of Ireland to England, where he has since gone on to win two competitive caps for the Three Lions.
Now, according to the Irish Independent, it isn’t just Gareth Southgate who has been impressed with Rice’s performances, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seemingly a fan too as they claim that Manchester United are ready to ‘break the bank’ to take him to Old Trafford this summer.
While Rice only signed a new deal to keep him at the London Stadium until 2024 back in December, Manuel Pellegrini recently admitted that a big money bid could see the youngster leave the club, with the report adding that his £30,000-a-week salary would ‘dwarfed’ if United were to come calling.
Rice could be a replacement for Ander Herrera, who has been reportedly agreed to move to PSG with his contract set to expire in the summer, while Nemanja Matic’s regular starting berth in defensive midfield could also be under threat.
Manchester United have also been linked with fellow young English players Jadon Sancho, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Aaron Wan-Bissaka as Solskjaer looks to inject more youth into his side.
