Manchester United ‘prepared to rival’ Chelsea in Declan Rice pursuit — report

Declan Rice should be one of the most coveted young players in the Premier League in the next summer transfer window, and as such, if he were available, all the big teams in the league — not just Chelsea — should be keeping an eye on things.

Unsurprisingly, Manchester United are doing just that. And if ESPN’s sources are to be believed, they could very well rival Chelsea for the 22-year-old’s signature. Chelsea have of course been interested in Rice for eons, and ESPN note that we are still “in pole position” for the defensive midfielder.

But United are apparently on the hunt for a new midfielder, alongside a new forward and a new centre back, and there might not be a better option to reinforce the position in the market than Rice — Paul Pogba’s future is once again in doubt as he enters the last two years of his contract.

That said, Chelsea signing Rice is not at all a foregone conclusion. The Athletic claim that the future of Frank Lampard is in many ways linked to the pursuit of our former Academy player, and if Lampard doesn’t see a third season, the club may be less keen on paying the £70m+ that will likely be needed to do business with West Ham.