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With West Ham United ready to listen to Declan Rice’s offer this summer, Manchester United are naturally presumed to be one of his signature suitors.
The club has consistently developed a relationship with the central midfielder over the last few years.
However, Rice’s contract expiry date is fast approaching. The Englishman’s contract at West Ham ends in June 2024 (though there is an option to extend for another year). This summer is therefore the perfect time for United to sign a deal.
Should United join Rice’s transfer talks? Should he be a preferred midfield signing? And would Eric ten Hag want him in the squad?
United’s volatile and unconfirmed ownership situation will make future transfer talks difficult to navigate. It is completely unclear whether United will participate in negotiations with the big name player. The new majority owner could be a company like Glazer, who is simply reluctant to invest, or a consumer like Todd Boehly, who is happy with the trigger.
Any owner coming in will likely want to make some splash in the transfer market.But as we recently saw at Newcastle United, there are clever ways to make your presence known to the city as the new money man .
Rice is a young Englishman with a wealth of Premier League experience and is highly regarded among the top teams. Regardless of the length of his contract, his price is not cheap.
West Ham will do their best to push his price as it creates a saga and pits suitors against each other. is inevitable.
Do United’s new owners need this intense action at their first window as leaders of the world’s biggest club? For every €100m Declan his rice, there is €50m Bruno Guimaraes. For every €50 million Fred gets free agent Christian Eriksen. A smart and stable business will ultimately succeed in both the short and long term.
United attempted a shift to this kind of strategy last summer under new CEO Richard Arnold, working with football director John Murtaugh and manager Eric ten Hag. , the lack of a clear immediate direction resulted in a confused and disjointed movement. See Antony’s final cost of his 100 million euros.
If United are to implement a structured and slick approach to the transfer market, complex strategies must be rendered ineffective. Unless, of course, a marquee player becomes available, who is also the “suitable player” that Ten Hag bolstered as his sole priority when narrowing down targets. , he also inevitably becomes a marquee player, but is he the right player? Is he worth paying over the odds and getting caught up in the story?
Ten Hag needs players who can play football both defensively and offensively to achieve total football. That means the days of chasing the midfield ‘disruptor’ that fans have been craving are over. no. 6 needs to be a destroyer and a playmaker to play under Ten Hag.
That’s why Casemiro succeeded at United. What surprises many is the Brazilian’s outstanding passing and verticality, in Ten Hug’s words. Casemiro, combined with his defensive prowess, is arguably the best midfielder in the Premier League, working within Ten Hag’s system and ideals.
At 30, Casemiro still has peak years left in the tank (expectation/hope). So paying his €100 million on cover is pretty wasteful.
There are many games in the season, but the next few years can be used to create new Casemiro if you strategically rest Casemiro.
I’m not saying, “You should be playing 17-year-old Kobbie Mainoo in half the game!” – Well, actually, why? Ten Hag has a history of trusting young players and developing them into quality and reliable first-team players. Mainoo could be the next candidate in this process.
West Ham had to give Rice game time before he became an elite midfielder in the Premier League. For Casemiro to become the best defensive midfielder in the world, Real had to give him game time at Madrid. Rushing into a large contract would limit not only Casemiro’s role within the team, but that of his upcoming talent.
A little naive? absolutely. But it’s probably part of United’s strategy. By the next season, Mainu will be learning from Ten Hag, a year he spends absorbing his philosophy and imbuing his mind with certain tactics and playing styles. Guidance of Ten Hags. Not from multiple managers or senior coaches.
Introducing Mainoo as a first-team regular is more of an equation than an answer to “should United buy Rice?”
As Ten Hag has shown throughout his career, and already at United, he is unafraid to prioritize younger players over senior team members. Look at the rise of Alejandro Garnacho. However, 17-year-old Mainu should be allowed to gradually pave the way to becoming his member of a worthy team. Mainu’s development will also be hampered by the rush if United choose not to invest in a top-quality midfielder this summer. For this negative side effect, see him Anthony Elanga as a case study.
United need to step up their depth in midfield – there are no two ways around this. Scott McTominay, Fred and Donny van de Beek all failed. United must be ruthless to this reality in order to be a true challenger on multiple fronts.
It was Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill’s Modus Operand for 20 years that set foot in Europe to unearth true gems and attract top young talent from clubs in the bottom half of the Premier League.
And Declan Rice is top talent. Can’t argue with that.
The 24-year-old is the epitome of a dynamic central midfielder who defends, passes and moves.
He averages two interceptions per 90 minutes, placing him in the elite category compared to other central midfielders across Europe.
His impressive pass rate of 89% has earned him accolades. While some might think this figure is confused with backwards or sideways passing, Rice is one of the most progressive ball passers in the Europa League.
Although he operates primarily around the center circle, his fearless and calm nature with the ball appeals to ten hugs as he averages two or more carries deep into opposing areas per match. I guess.
These undeniably admirable stats, along with Rice’s age and extensive Premier League experience, make him the ideal profile to introduce into United’s weak midfield squad.
A cause for concern is that his only experience has been playing for West Ham, a team that doesn’t play sprawling, possession-based football that favors a resilient and disciplined approach, David Moyes.
The coaching pedigree of Ten Hag and his staff has already paid off in reviving the careers of multiple United players.
Another potential issue is his price tag. United will no doubt focus on signing world-class strikers this summer, with Harry Kane, Victor Osimén and Dušan Vlahovic touted as shortlists.
Will there be enough money in the bank to buy two autographs worth more than €100 million? The volatile and unknown future ownership situation prevents this from being discussed.
It might sound like cash splashing on a shiny object he finds Woodward is the flavor of the month, but these astronomical prices are high for medium to high prices, not to mention world-class stars. It’s becoming the standard for quality players.
If United are to compete on all fronts and challenge for Cup trophies, the Premier League and the Champions League, they need deep strength. Not just strength, but world-class strength with depth.
Rice could be the perfect top-quality addition for a team desperate for a midfield replacement. But the main question, ownership aside, is whether Ten Hag will relinquish his Frenkie de Jong obsession.
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