Rivals make £90m offer for Manchester United target

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Manchester United’s Declan Rice challenge has just become that little bit harder with Premier League champions Man City stumping up a £90 million bid for the West Ham captain on Monday night.

That is according to The Athletic.

If Arsenal represent a major obstacle for Manchester United’s hopes of luring one of European football’s most complete central midfielders to Old Trafford, then Man City’s emergence as potential frontrunners has a real ‘final boss battle’ feel about it.

A club with a ‘health bar’ longer than Peter Crouch’s limbs. And the financial firepower to back up their sky-high ambitions.

It speaks volumes about the monetary chasm that currently exists between the two Manchester rivals that – while City are offering £90 million for Declan Rice (£80 million up front and a further £10 million in bonuses) – United are being restricted to player-plus-cash offers due to the FFP concerns facing Erik ten Hag this summer.

Manchester United face massive Declan Rice battle

According to the Daily Mail, United are willing to offer £40 million for Rice as part of a deal that would see Harry Maguire and Anthony Elanga move in the other direction.

Scott McTominay – a player Hammers boss David Moyes admirers – could still be an ace up Ten Hag’s sleeve. But with Man City putting their considerable money where their mouth is, any lingering hopes United may have of reuniting Rice with close friend Mason Mount at Old Trafford rely almost solely on how West Ham feel about accepting Maguire, McTominay and/or Elanga in exchange.

“He would also be guaranteed to start at United,” former Chelsea forward Tony Cascarino tells The Times. “Though I feel they are still some way behind Arsenal in terms of their development.

“He would need to ask the manager, Erik ten Hag, who the club are planning to bring in. And where he would fit.

“Rice would certainly lift United and make them less ponderous in midfield. From a technical point of view, he is in front of Scott McTominay and way better than Fred.

“Rice and Casemiro would be a great midfield partnership. They would both win possession a lot and then do the simple things well, rarely giving the ball away.”