Manchester United are outsiders in the race to sign Declan Rice but that won’t stop them trying.
Rice, 24, is destined to leave the London Stadium this summer with several top sides keen on signing him. After agreeing to personal terms some weeks ago, Arsenal have continually been viewed as the saga’s frontrunners.
However, with Pep Guardiola’s treble-winning Manchester City recently registering their interest and offering £90m (inclusive of add-ons) for the Hammers’ captain, Mikel Arteta now faces strong competition.
Despite the ongoing negotiations between West Ham and last season’s top-two teams for Rice, according to a recent report from Football Insider, Manchester United are set to make the Hammers a unique offer that will include a transfer fee plus two players in exchange for the in-demand 24-year-old.
While Erik Ten Hag prioritises a move for Mason Mount, with talks with Chelsea struggling to progress due to the two club’s inability to agree on a fee, Rice is believed to be an option.
Although it’s a given that United will not be able to match, or beat, Arsenal and Manchester City’s offers, largely due to the uncertainty surrounding the Glazers family’s proposed sale, Ten Hag is said to be willing to include two players in addition to a £45m fee. One of the players rumoured to be included is defender and club captain Harry Maguire.
Maguire, 30, is also facing an uncertain future. The centre-back has barely featured under Ten Hag, and after starting just eight Premier League matches last season, it goes without saying that if he is to remain in Gareth Southgate’s England plans, he’ll need more regular playing time.
West Ham have been heavily linked with the 30-year-old, but whether or not they’ll accept a little less than half their valuation and two players in exchange for their best player remains to be seen.