Report: Manchester United could gazump Arsenal and sign £75m midfielder

By Shamanth Jayaram

Arsenal’s top target this summer is Declan Rice, but Manchester United could blow the Gunners out of the water in the race to sign the West Ham United star.

That’s according to Dean Jones’ story on GiveMeSport, which claims that the Red Devils could pose the biggest threat to Mikel Arteta’s Gunners in their pursuit of the England midfielder.

Rice, who is West Ham’s best player, will enter the final year of his contract this summer, and he’s almost certain to leave the London Stadium for a bigger club.

Manchester United could trump Arsenal and sign Declan Rice

It is no secret at this point that Arsenal would like to sign Rice.

The £75-million-rated Englishman is reportedly Arteta’s top transfer target this summer, and the Gunners are expected to make a big move to sign him.

The report claims Rice wants to join Arsenal too. Figures close to the player are apparently convinced that a move to the Emirates is the Englishman’s ‘top choice’ before the start of next season.

That should make it easy for Arsenal, but the report says Manchester United could still beat the Gunners and lure Rice away to Old Trafford.

It has been claimed that the 24-year-old wants to stay in London, but Manchester United are his choice of club outside the capital. To add to that, the report says the Red Devils would offer the Englishman a much higher salary to convince him to join them.

“There is a feeling United could trump Arsenal in that sense,” Jones writes while touching on wages.

TBR View:

Arsenal cannot really compete with Manchester United if Erik ten Hag’s men show up with crazy money.

The Red Devils have eight players earning £200,000-a-week or more and four who pocket over £300,000 every week (Spotrac). Arsenal, on the other hand, only have two players earning over £200,000-a-week – Thomas Partey and Gabriel Jesus.

That shows United’s financial muscle, but Rice’s desire to remain in London combined with the prospect of working under Arteta, who has taken almost every player in his squad to a whole new level, could give Arsenal an edge.

It will be interesting to see what will happen with Rice this summer.