According to recent reports, Manchester United’s newly formed recruitment team have agreed that West Ham’s Declan Rice would be the ideal long-term replacement for Nemanja Matic.
READ MORE: (Video) Denizlispor defender sees red for horrendous flying kick challenge
After emerging as one of the Premier League’s most impressive holding midfielders, Rice’s long-term future in London continues to be speculated.
A series of links to Chelsea during last year’s summer transfer window saw former manager Frank Lampard seemingly eager to snap the 22-year-old up.
However, after spending upwards of £200m, Lampard’s plans for Rice failed to materialise, with the English gaffer going on to lose his job just a few months later.
Since the arrival of new manager Thomas Tuchel, speculation linking Rice to Chelsea has dramatically cooled.
However, another club looking to pounce on the Blues’ missed opportunity is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils.
According to a recent report from The Sun, United’s newly formed recruitment team, which includes John Murtough as football director, have all agreed to pursue the Hammers’ midfielder.
It has been claimed that the Red Devils’ hierarchy view Rice as the ideal long-term replacement for veteran midfielder Matic.
However, despite being incredibly impressed by Rice’s recent rise, signing the 22-year-old won’t be an easy task.
The Sun claim West Ham would only consider allowing their talented midfielder to depart for a fee of at least £80m.