LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 30: David Moyes the manager / head coach of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at London Stadium on April 30, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by James Williamson - AMA/Getty Images)
West Ham ace Declan Rice is set to leave the London Stadium this summer and it seems one of the Premier League’s powerhouses is unable to make a move, according to The Sun.
The report (18 June) claims that Arsenal are favourites to land the West Ham midfielder after having an initial £90million bid rejected, while Manchester City are lurking in the shadows as they attempt to hijack the deal.
Meanwhile, the red side of the city is unable to get involved in the race for Rice and Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag is reportedly fuming about this as he feels the midfielder would be the perfect signing.
However, the club’s takeover saga is causing the Dutch manager’s spending to be restricted while the Glazers make a decision over the details of the sale, and whether or not they want to go through with it.
If the sale is to go through, Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani is the favourite to take control of Manchester United, but with the Premier League then needing to complete the Owners’ and Directors’ Test which takes around ten days, it could mean any transfer business is delayed at the club for at least another two weeks.
There is no shortage of top clubs interested in the services of West Ham’s captain. Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and now Manchester United have all either been or are still interested in the 24-year-old.
For Rice, this sort of interest will be beyond flattering and it is not difficult to see why he is so keen to make the switch to one of these footballing giants. However, unfortunately for the England international, it does not seem as if Manchester United is a serious option to consider.
If the club were able to make their move for Rice, it would be interesting to see how that would impact his decision. Arsenal are reportedly his preferred destination as of now, with Manchester City’s midfield perhaps a bit too stacked with talent to guarantee a starting position, and the style of play not necessarily suited to Rice.
But if Manchester United were to come calling, with their presence and need for a top midfielder, the Conference League winner could slot in perfectly at the club.
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta may perhaps count themselves lucky that Ten Hag can’t make his move.
