Man Utd target Declan Rice sheds light on West Ham exit links with defiant transfer vow
Solskjaer previews Man Utd's clash with Villarreal
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has insisted that he is happy at the club despite failing to agree a contract extension at the London Stadium as of yet. Rice, who has emerged as one of the Premier League’s finest central midfielders in recent seasons, has been linked with a big-money move to Manchester United for a number of years.
The 22-year-old is believed to be on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s radar as United look to bolster their midfield ranks ahead of next season.
The Norwegian boss was eager to land a new deep-lying playmaker over the summer, but was ultimately left empty-handed in the position.
United instead opted to channel their resources into a late swoop for Cristiano Ronaldo, leaving them unable to bring in a midfielder before the end of the window.
Rice is said to be keenly admired by those at Old Trafford, while Chelsea have also been credited with an interest in bringing him to Stamford Bridge.
He is under contract until the summer of 2024 but has reportedly been reluctant to pen a long-term extension despite receiving multiple offers from the Hammers.
JUST IN: Michael Owen has two criticisms of Liverpool star Mohamed Salah
However, it seems as though Rice is not concerning himself with the idea of a new challenge just yet, with the midfielder insisting that he is only focused on West Ham and the campaign ahead.
“Everyone knows how I feel about West Ham, how I feel about playing for the manager,” he told the Evening Standard.
“You can see from my performances, nothing is up and nothing is concerning me. My only objective at the moment is going out and playing for the club.”
Rice went on to declare that he is confident of achieving his own personal ambitions at West Ham, who look set to battle for European qualification once again this season.
“Yeah, I think we can do good things,” he added.
“To the fans, you can see how happy I am for this team, there isn’t much else to say.”
It remains to be seen whether United will eventually act on their interest in Rice, who has played every minute in the Premier League for the Hammers this season.
Former Red Devils full-back Paul Parker recently suggested that his old club should have prioritised a summer move for the midfielder over the £77million capture of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.
FOLLOW OUR NEW DAILY EXPRESS SPORT INSTAGRAM PAGE
“There’s a way of just being that defensive player, but then as well there’s another way of being a midfield player who can break into the attacking third,” Parker exclusively told Express Sport.
“United haven’t got that player, so if they’re going to go into the marketplace you have to look at Declan Rice. It’s all about someone young,
“And if you were to go and spend the Sancho money on him, you would have got someone who is proven in the Premier League. Everyone talks about him and knows about him.”
Source: Read Full Article