Manchester United have been advised they could challenge Arsenal for Declan Rice by including one of their players in any transfer bid.
Rice is expected to command a fee of up to £120 million this summer, with Manchester United and Arsenal the most likely candidates to seal his signature, although Liverpool and Chelsea continue to be named as interested parties. The 23-year-old has made 201 Premier League appearances, with 41 England caps to his name.
The West Ham captain has been the subject of interest for a number of years, but his performances for the Hammers and at the World Cup with England this season underline his quality. Harry Kane is also believed to be on Erik ten Hag's radar and such a transfer would severely dent United's summer budget.
This is a situation which has been outlined by former Liverpool and Nottingham Forest striker Stan Collymore, who has revealed in his column for Caught Offside how United are a perfect fit for the box-to-box midfielder. He also explained how Scottish midfielder Scott McTominay could be used as a makeweight in any potential deal.
"He’s obviously in demand and is likely to be at the centre of a summer battle but I actually think going to Manchester United would be the best move for Declan Rice." Collymore said. "Rice is the exact type of midfielder they’ve been crying out for, for years. He’s powerful, dynamic and can run box-to-box for days.
"Although the Red Devils probably wouldn’t want to splash £120m on one midfielder, especially when we all know how much Erik Ten Hag wants a new striker, I can definitely see a situation where they offer some money and a player. I think including Scott McTominay in an offer would be quite appealing to West Ham."
McTominay has played in 35 matches for United this season, with many of those coming from the bench as the arrival on Casemiro has pushed the 25-year-old down the pecking order. However, with compatriot David Moyes in charge of West Ham, McTominay could thrive in a similar box-to-box role to what has been expected of Rice under Moyes.
Despite United's expected return to the Champions League next season, they could face their toughest competition from Arsenal, with the Gunners having pushed hard for a Premier League title this campaign, sitting 18 points ahead of Man United. Former Spurs manager Tim Sherwood has revealed how a move to join the Gunners could be a 'perfect fit'.
“I would be surprised if he was still there [at West Ham] next season,” Sherwood said on the William Hill and Footy Accumulators podcast, No Tippy Tappy Football. “I think it’s time to do the right thing by the player and you could say possibly the same thing with Harry Kane – they have been great servants to their clubs and it’s right for them to move on to progress their careers.
“He’s been heavily linked with Arsenal and I think that would be a perfect move for him. I think he’d make a real difference. It looks like Granit Xhaka is going to move on with it being the end of his contract and Declan looks the perfect player to slot into that role and improve it.”
However, Collymore questioned Arsenal's spending capacity in his column, countering Sherwood's claims by questioning whether Edu will have the financial clout to make the deal amid their other targets. He added: "I know that may annoy some Arsenal fans due to the Gunners being so heavily linked with him, but with West Ham wanting £120m, I’m not convinced they’re going to have the money to get a deal done.
"I’m not saying Arsenal can’t afford to spend £120m, but you would assume that would be the bulk of their budget, so should they put all their eggs in one basket? – I’m not so sure because in order for them to continue to improve, they’re going to need more than one big signing."
