Why Declan Rice would be a perfect solution to United’s midfield
According to The Metro, Declan Rice has long been on Manchester United’s radar and the club are weighing up a move for him.
The report suggests that United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had sent his scouts to watch Rice in action against Sheffield United last month. And West Ham have accepted that he may leave the London Stadium at the end of the season.
Rice, 21, moved from Chelsea’s youth system to West Ham in the summer of 2013 and broke into the Hammers senior team in 2015. He is now a regular member of the squad. He was impressive right from the start of his career at the club and earned a call-up to the national team.
Since his debut for England in March 2019, the midfielder has made 7 appearances for his country and would be hoping to make it to Gareth Southgate’s squad for Euro 2020.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils have endured a mixed season so far despite starting on a high note. Injuries and inconsistency of several key players has been an issue for the manager in this transition period.
They have not been at their best since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club and without a long-term manager, United have been on the decline in recent years.
However, current boss Solskjaer is trying to bring the best out of the young squad and has mostly preferred youngsters to get the job done. He made a few signings for the defensive and attacking units last summer and they have performed well so far. Bruno Fernandes was signed last month to bring creativity to the team.
One area where United have faced limitations this season is the deep-lying midfield position. Former Chelsea star Nemanja Matic has been out of favour this season and Scott McTominay, who can also sit deep, has been injured for the majority of the season. Hence, an interest in Declan Rice seems logical.
The 21-year-old started his career brilliantly but this season, due to the poor performance by West Ham, he has also seen a slight dip in form. However, he has been the best player at his club this campaign after Mark Noble.
According to Whoscored, Rice has averaged 3.1 tackles, 2 interceptions and 1.2 clearances per game in the Premier League. His numbers have been better than United’s Matic, who has registered just 1.9 tackles, 0.4 interceptions, and 0.8 tackles on average this season.
The English international could be the perfect replacement for Matic in the middle of the park. And his inclusion to the squad would also allow new recruit Fernandes more freedom to concentrate on creating chances for his team.
Rice is predominantly a defensive midfielder but is also capable of playing in central defence. His versatility would be a huge boost for the manager.
Read more
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Verdict
At 21, this is the right time for Rice to take his game to a higher level. He would be an upgrade on the ageing Matic and can get into the starting line-up right from the beginning, given his potential to stop attacks with ease. Therefore, United must lure the youngster to Old Trafford in the summer despite the £80m price tag on his head.
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