Manchester United: Journalist shares what he’s heard on Declan Rice

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is ‘not a fan’ of West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice, journalist Paul Brown has claimed.
The Lowdown: Rice off in the summer?
The 24-year-old has matured into a formidable player and regular starter for both club and country, with his price tag continuing to rocket all the time.
Rice has been linked with numerous clubs ahead of the summer transfer window and United have seemingly emerged as one of the front-runners to snap him up.
Now, a contrary update has emerged, suggesting he may not be heading to Old Trafford after all.
The Latest: Ten Hag not keen on move
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Brown admitted that Ten Hag could put paid to Rice becoming a United player:
“Declan Rice will not be cheap. It’s looking less likely there’ll be a bidding war for him, however, because I can’t see Manchester City going for Declan Rice having bought Kalvin Phillips when they did.
“It looks less and less likely that Manchester United will go for him now because I’m not terribly sure that Ten Hag is a big fan.”
The Verdict: Cheaper alternatives out there
Rice is unquestionably a footballer with huge potential – Joe Cole has called him a ‘top, top player’ while the media have dubbed him ‘sensational‘ – having already racked up 225 appearances for West Ham and 39 caps for England.
While he would be a strong signing for United, there is also the issue of his price tag being enormous, due to English players’ fees often being inflated in the transfer market.
For that reason, it could make sense for the Red Devils to look at alternatives this summer, especially as Ten Hag reportedly doesn’t rate Rice as highly as others.
Someone like Nicolo Barella of Inter Milan could be an example of a strong option, with the 26-year-old a European Championship winner with Italy, a scorer of five Serie A goals this season and someone who has been linked with a move to the Premier League recently.
