Man Utd’s perfect Declan Rice alternative might be right under their nose

Southgate warns England 'hard work starts now' for World Cup

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Manchester United are in desperate need of a holding midfielder to complete their star-studded squad, but an obvious alternative to long-term target Declan Rice could be just what they need to make them serious title contenders.

Manchester United almost have the complete squad following the arrivals of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo, but are clearly in need of a holding midfielder.

Declan Rice has emerged as a long-term target, who starred alongside Kalvin Phillips during England’s Euro 2020 campaign, and the same pair started on Thursday as England beat Hungary 4-0 in their World Cup qualifier.

The pair were solid throughout the game, but England lacked creativity in the first half, which was resurrected after the break as Raheem Sterling put the visitors in front following excellent play down the left channel from Jack Grealish and Mason Mount, and Sterling became the provider for England’s second as he crossed to Harry Kane, who headed past a helpless Peter Gulasci to double the advantage.

Harry Maguire headed a third from a Luke Shaw corner, before Rice shot from range after Grealish found the midfielder, and his effort squirmed under a porr Gulasci to round off a much improved second period.

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Rice has been linked with multiple moves away from West Ham since his rise up through the ranks, but United’s ideal midfielder could be his international partner, who also caught the eye this summer.

Phillips recently won the award for England’s player of the year for 2020/21 and it’s hard to argue against due to his exceptional performances over the last season.

The 25-year-old has been at Leeds for the entirety of his professional career and has starred in the Premier League after helping his side win promotion from the Championship during the 2019/20 season.

Phillips has evolved into an excellent holding midfielder and although he packs a bite, his consistency when it comes to winning back possession and driving his side forward is instrumental for Marcelo Bielsa’s side, and contributed to England’s second goal tonight, as his interception created Harry Kane’s chance to give his side breathing space on the night.

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The midfielder also assisted England’s first goal of the European Championships this summer, as his pass provided Raheem Sterling with the only goal of the game against Croatia, as the Three Lions broke the curse of never winning their opening Euro’s group match.

Rice may be three years younger than Phillips, but the Leeds midfielder holds a lot of valuable experience, and is likely to come at a slightly cheaper price as opposed to his England teammate.

According to Transfermarkt, Phillips is valued just shy of £40million, whereas Rice is valued at a minimum of £65m, and the Leeds midfielder could be the perfect base for United’s attacking force to build off in the centre of the Old Trafford turf.

Either Rice or Phillips would be a heavily valued asset, and both draw even more comparisons as their contracts expire in the summer of 2024, with both on the radar of all of England’s top four.

Rice may have his heart set on Chelsea, as he was a former academy player at Stamford Bridge and has always expressed his love for playing alongside childhood friend Mason Mount.

This could pave the way for Phillips to make the move to Old Trafford and solidify Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s midfield for the foreseeable future, alongside Scott McTominay or Paul Pogba, should the Frenchman opt to sign a new deal at the club.

The role Phillips occupies is the final piece missing in Solskjaer’s side, with Fred falling out of favour amongst the fans, and Donny van De Beek doesn’t appear to be suited for the role.

Long-time rivals Leeds will be reluctant to let their star go, but when the right offer is made, they tend to do business.

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