West Ham star Declan Rice has already shown that he could be the perfect signing for Manchester United this summer amid fresh links.
The Manchester Evening News claimed this morning that Rice has expressed an interest in joining United this summer by quizzing England teammates Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw over aspects of the club.
And that could be music to the ears of the Reds transfer chiefs who have reportedly tracked Rice for around two years ahead of a potential transfer.
West Ham will be no mood to sell this summer, particularly if they reach the Champions League. They are currently fourth and looking like serious contenders to secure a top four finish following their 3-2 win over Leicester on Sunday.
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Hammers owner David Sullivan has already said it would take more than £100million to lure Rice away, with the 22-year-old’s contract not up until 2024.
But that might be worth paying for Manchester United given just how much Rice fits the bill.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is desperate to strengthen at centre-back, and while he would be signing a defensive midfielder in Rice, he could also bag himself some cover for centre-back and a more advanced midfield role.
“My role is holding midfielder. There isn’t really any flair in that. I can slot in at centre-half but I think I’ve got much more to give and I think my confidence is growing in midfield,” Rice told Sky Sports in November.
“As a footballer you only get one career and it goes by very quick,” he added. “You want to be successful for club and country. I think it’s an important thing to win trophies.
“There’s talk of Harry Kane at Spurs and what he should be doing, obviously he can do whatever he wants. He’s going to win trophies we all know that.
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“I think that’s something I want to aim for as well. I’m only 21 but to get those highs of your career you need to win stuff and that’s what I want to do.”
Rice has also proved himself as the perfect West Ham man, becoming club captain at just 22 years of age, and the Hammers will be desperate to keep hold of him this summer.
But with Manchester United looking to make a splash in the transfer market in order to close the gap to rivals Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, Rice’s versatility could make him the perfect signing.