Manchester United are reportedly interested in making a high-profile swoop for West Ham United star, Declan Rice, with the England international seemingly edging toward a summer exit from the London Stadium.
What's the latest on Rice to Man United?
That's according to journalist Jacob Steinberg, who revealed on Twitter that the Red Devils are ready to battle it out with rivals Arsenal for the 24-year-old's signature: "Manchester United planning move for Declan Rice this summer. Arsenal have put in a lot of groundwork but they now face competition from United for the West Ham midfielder."
In his attached piece for The Guardian, the transfer insider revealed that while United's focus appears to be on landing a new striker this summer, there is 'growing' interest in the Hammers ace.
While it is said that there is 'no guarantee' that Erik ten Hag's side will lodge a bid for the one-time Chelsea youth product – who could command a fee of around £100m – Rice does appear to be a potential target for the Old Trafford outfit, with the midfielder in line for an exit from his current side with just a year left on his existing deal.
How would Rice fit in at Man United?
It is perhaps easy to see why Ten Hag is keeping tabs on the 6 foot 1 maestro, with Manchester Evening News having previously reported that the Dutchman is keen to acquire a 'younger midfielder' ahead of next season, after bringing in the experienced duo of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen last summer.
The addition of Rice could well prove bad news for the latter man, in particular, with it unlikely to be Casemiro – who has been hailed as the "cement" in the side by his manager – who is ousted from his starting berth next season, having cost the club a rather hefty £70m back in August.
In the case of Eriksen – who arrived on a free transfer at the start of last summer – the Danish playmaker has made an impressive impact at the Theatre of Dreams this season with two goals and nine assists in all competitions, although at 31, it remains to be seen if he can be a long-term solution in the centre of the park.
For all the former Tottenham Hotspur man's creative benefits – showcased by the fact that he ranks in the top 1% among his European peers for assists – he seemingly does not possess the ball-winning brilliance nor the mobility of the aforementioned Rice.
That is shown by the fact that the West Ham machine ranks in the top 3% for interceptions and the top 14% for progressive carries as a marker of his ability to both win back the ball but also drive forward from deep, while Eriksen, by contrast, ranks in just the bottom 10% and the top 37% for those same two metrics respectively.
It was also Rice – who has been hailed as a "Rolls Royce" by pundit Danny Murphy – who came out on top when the two sides met in the capital last weekend, with 90min's Toby Cudworth writing that the 41-cap ace was 'absolutely sensational', while Eriksen, by contrast, was 'overwhelmed' in the second half – according to GOAL's Richard Martin.
That stellar showing from the Englishman will likely have piqued the interest of Ten Hag and co even further, with it set to be no surprise if the £60k-per-week ace is lining up alongside Casemiro next term in a red jersey.