Reports | Manchester United face competition from Manchester City for Declan Rice
Manchester United and Manchester City set to battle for Declan rice
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Manchester United are set to compete with cross-town rivals Manchester City to secure the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham, as per reports from ESPN. The defensive midfielder who is under contract with West Ham until 2024 is touted for a big-money move to one of the top clubs in Europe.
According to reports from ESPN, Manchester United remain keen on signing Declan Rice even though they decided against investing in a midfielder this summer. The English club had identified a centre-back and a winger as their priority signings for the summer transfer window. The English club's transfer kitty was spent on acquiring Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund and Raphael Varane from Real Madrid while the deal for bringing back Cristiano Ronaldo was financed from external funds outside the allocated transfer funds.
It is understood that the England international is among a number of options for a defensive midfielder profile that will be narrowed down over the course of the next year. The report also suggests that United are also keen on adding a striker to their squad next season to round up their priority targets.
It is understood that reigning Premier League champions Manchester City have also registered an interest in signing the West Ham star next summer. The Citizens have monitored the defensive midfielder's progress ever since he broke into the West Ham first team. The champions see the 22-year-old as a long-term replacement for Fernandinho who turns 37 this season.
Rice has featured 149 times for the Hammers while scoring five goals and providing six assists across all competitions after breaking through into the West Ham team in the 2017/18 season. Any attempts to sign the Englishman by either or both of the Manchester clubs next summer will only succeed if the offer is close to £100 million.
