Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer reportedly sent his personal scout to take a closer look at West Ham Utd ace Declan Rice last week.
The Red Devils are continuing to battle it out for a top-four finish in the Premier League this season as they hope to secure a return to the Champions League next year.
SEE MORE: Desperate Manchester United tell flop they’ll extend his contract following injury crisis
Their pursuit has been made trickier by the injuries suffered by Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay, weakening Solskjaer’s options further in an area of the pitch which arguably needed to be strengthened even with that key duo fully fit.
It appears as though they could look to address the situation sooner rather than later, as the Daily Mail report that Solskjaer sent his personal and most trusted scout to watch Rice during West Ham’s clash with Sheffield United last Friday.
Given the 20-year-old has firmly established himself as an important figure in the Hammers line-up, coupled with the experience he can boast of playing in the Premier League and being able to settle immediately, it could be a crucial addition to the Man Utd squad.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not the scouting report back to Solskjaer is enough to convince the Premier League giants to make their move, or if they will consider alternative targets with Bruno Fernandes specifically mentioned in the report above.
Perhaps ideally with the solidity that Rice can provide in midfield coupled with the creativity and goal threat from Fernandes, Man Utd will hope to secure both their signatures this year and continue to improve the squad with quality young players.
Time will tell if the pieces fall into place for that to happen or not, but for now, it seems as though Solskjaer is very serious about the possibility of signing Rice as he continues to track him.