It was inevitable when Manuel Pellegrini said he could be sold if the price suited the Hammers, but Declan Rice is being lined up to succeed Ander Herrera at Manchester United, as per The Times.
They are reporting that the Spaniard is close to securing a summer-exit to Paris Saint-Germain, with his deal at Old Trafford set to expire at the end of June.
Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been quoted as saying he was keen for the Premier League giants to reach an agreement with the midfielder, but the 29-year-old will instead head to Ligue 1, where he will earn a reported £200,000-a-week.
As the current sixth-placed outfit were unwilling to match the Parisian side’s offer, attentions are now understood to be turning back to Herrera’s native Spain and London in the hopes of finding the £25.2million-rated star’s replacement.
It is claimed that Rice, and Atletico Madrid sensation Saul Niguez are among United’s top targets for the summer, although how much they would be willing to offer us for our England international remains to be seen.
Previous reports connecting Rice with a move to Old Trafford have variated with the price quoted.
The Sun initially suggested Solskjaer’s ambitions for an English core would see the Red Devils stake £40million to prise our anchor away from the London Stadium. However, the Irish Independent later suggested they would be willing to break the bank for him, and offer a fee in excess of £50m, while substantially raising his wage above the £30,000-a-week we pay.
If United’s interest continues to grow in strength, and Mario Husillos’ resolve is put to the test, the reports endlessly linking us with a move for Besiktas’ veteran midfielder Gary Medel and now Saint-Etienne’s key man Yann M’Vila make a lot more sense.
