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Home > Blog Post > Manchester United Make 22-Year-Old Defensive Midfielder Top Priority on Solskjaer’s Insistence

Manchester United Make 22-Year-Old Defensive Midfielder Top Priority on Solskjaer’s Insistence

Declan Rice, United, alternatives, Solskjaer

If recent reports are to be believed, Solskjaer is putting pressure on the Glazers to complete the transfer of English midfielder Declan Rice.

If there is one specific English club that can boast of a very productive and beaming summer transfer window, then it is Manchester United. Starting with the free transfer of Tom Heaton, then securing the signature of Jadon Sancho, reinforcing the defence with the transfer of Raphael Varane and finally, the homecoming of Cristiano Ronaldo. Yet, one transfer that Solskjaer wanted desperately but failed to materialise was of Declan Rice.

Declan Rice Solskjaer
Image Obtained via Sky Sports

The Red Devils kicked off their season in style, beating Leeds United 5-1 at Old Trafford. The next two matches were not so extravagant, with a 1-1 draw against Southampton and a close 1-0 win over Wolves. The following match, Ronaldo made his second debut for the Reds Devils and United thrashed Newcastle United 4-1.

After that, the team completely went off the rails, losing three out of four games across all competitions, including a loss to Young Boys in the Champions League and a 1-0 loss against Aston Villa at home. The next set of matches were not that easy as well with United looking to jump back. Ronaldo secured a hard-fought 2-1 win with a last-minute goal against Villarreal and a 1-1 draw against Everton at home.

After investing in defence and attack in the summer transfer window, the United manager is hoping to get reinforcements in midfield. According to 90min, Solskjaer is trying to convince the Glazers to bring in Declan Rice at any cost.

Many reports confirmed that Manchester United were interested in signing the Englishman in the summer. The 22-year-old midfielder has been a very consistent player for West Ham for the last few seasons. He was one of the key contributors for David Moyes’ side securing a Europa League berth last season. He also played an important role in England reaching the finals of the Euro 2021, where they lost to Italy.

Rice still has three years left in his current contract at West Ham, which continues till 2024. His performances have garnered huge interest from the top Premier League clubs and the Hammers slapped a £100m price tag on his head which discouraged United to pursue the young midfielder.

Considering United’s uneven start to the season, Ole now wants to strengthen his midfield. Solskjaer believes that Declan Rice is the final missing piece of the puzzle that will enable the club to challenge for the Premier League and the Champions League. The West Ham United vice-captain possesses the agility and speed required for a single pivot system which both Fred and Matic lack.

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However, bringing him to Old Trafford could be very tricky because of interests from other rival clubs. Various reports indicated that scouts of both Manchester City and Chelsea were keeping an eye on the defensive midfielder as the season started.

On the other hand, West Ham would not let go of their star midfielder so easily. The Hammers will not allow the highly sought-after player to leave for any small sum of money. Moreover, Rice recently reiterated his love for David Moyes and his team. So, signing Rice would be a huge challenge for any club.

Stay tuned to know more about Manchester United.

Abir Chaudhuri
A football fan who loves to write about the game.

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