Man Utd handed major Declan Rice boost as Man City ‘decide on £105m transfer priority’

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Manchester United are unlikely to face any competition from Manchester City in the race to sign West Ham United playmaker Declan Rice ahead of next season, according to reports. The 23-year-old is said to be a target for the Red Devils, who have been looking to add a new deep-lying midfielder to their ranks since the end of the previous campaign.

Rice has emerged as one of the Premier League’s finest young players in recent years and was a vital cog in the machine for England at Euro 2020 last summer.

He has since featured in all but one of West Ham’s top-flight matches this season, helping them to compete for a place in the division’s top four in the process.

The former Chelsea youth prospect’s future appears to be in doubt, though, with his current deal set to expire in the summer of 2024 as things stand.

Rice has reportedly turned down the offer of a new contract from the Hammers and is said to be on United’s radar with a view to securing a summer move for his signature.

City have also been credited with a desire to land Rice as a long-term option to replace Fernandinho in the middle of the park at the Etihad Stadium.

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However, it seems as though Pep Guardiola’s pursuit of Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland could give United the upper hand in negotiations over a move for the Hammers man.

The defending Premier League champions are not expected to mount any bids for Rice ahead of next season, according to Claret and Hugh.

It is claimed that City have already set aside around £105million to fund a move for Haaland, who is expected to move on from Dortmund in the not-too-distant future.

He will command a transfer fee of around £65million to match his release clause, with City also having to budget for another £40m in signing and agent fees.

Their interest in Haaland is said to mean that Rice will not be joining them for the foreseeable future, leaving United in pole position to snap him up for themselves.

The England ace recently admitted that he is desperate to win trophies before the end of his career when quizzed on his ambitions for the future, suggesting that a move away from the London Stadium could soon emerge as a real possibility.

“You’re constantly reading stuff about myself, obviously [Jarrod] Bowen, [Manuel] Lanzini,” Rice told Gary Neville on The Overlap.

“Of course I feel like if you’re performing well and obviously there’s top clubs around, there’s people always going to be circling.

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“But I never actually read too much into it or believe anything until something actually happens, to me it’s just all noise.

“I’ve just got to stay focused on what I’ve got to do at West Ham which is perform week in, week out and try and be the best player because that’s what I want to be.

“I think the main one for me, I’ve always said it, I don’t want to have a career where I’ve not won nothing. I’ve grown up as a kid, I’ve seen all these top players win the big trophies.

“Me as a football fan and also a player I want to win the best stuff. I want to win the Premier League, I want to lift that trophy.

“I want to win the Champions League, I want to win FA Cups, the league cups, stuff with England, I want to win it all. As a footballer I feel like if you’ve not got that ambition, why are you playing?”

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