Manchester United had club record Declan Rice bid turned down last summer

Manchester United reportedly had a £100 million bid for West Ham’s Declan Rice turned down last summer.

This is according to Jim White of talkSPORT, who confirmed that West Ham’s current asking price for Declan Rice is £120m plus add-ons.

“We understand that Manchester United last summer bid £100 million and didn’t get him. Chelsea Arsenal, and United are still in the frame,” White said on Monday.

He further revealed that although Manchester United had this bid rejected last summer, they are still in the running for the midfielder.

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With Erik ten Hag short on midfield options, a deadline day loan signing of Marcel Sabitzer had to be initiated in order for the squad to cover for Christian Eriksen’s ankle injury, which is set to keep him sidelined until the end of April.

Last summer, United spent a considerable amount of effort attempting to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona. The Reds agreed a fee of £85 million with Barcelona for the Dutch midfielder, however they could not agree terms with the player, and the move ultimately collapsed.

United then instead signed Casemiro from Real Madrid for a fee of around £60 million – a move which most United fans would agree has been an absolute success thus far. The Brazilian has become integral to Ten Hag’s side this season, as when he doesn’t play, the lack of presence is felt.

It has been said on multiple occasions so far this season that Erik ten Hag is looking to bring in another midfielder.

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Scott McTominay has been said to be on a list of six players who Manchester United have deemed “sellable” this summer, with the Dutch manager looking to continue his squad overhaul as he continues to make a significant imprint on the side he was brought in to fix last May.

McTominay has struggled to gain consistent game-time this season despite a great start to the season, mainly due to Casemiro’s impact on the team.

United’s most pressing issue in midfield is that another player needs to be signed in order to rotate with Eriksen when playing alongside Casemiro, as Eriksen had played the second most minutes behind Bruno Fernandes for outfield players this season prior to his injury.

Whether Rice is the correct fit for this side remains to be seen, should the club decide to splash the cash on the Englishman – although with United targeting Napoli’s £100m striker in Victor Osimhen, budget restraints could prevent United from signing the midfielder this summer.