Declan Rice shatters Manchester United fans’ dreams with latest comments

Manchester United target Declan Rice has expressed his wish to stay at West Ham United, meaning that the Red Devils may have to look elsewhere for a new defensive midfielder.

Signing a defensive midfielder is a priority for Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer this summer.

Although United already have two players who can play in this position – Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay – the former has been showing his age recently and the latter excels further up the pitch.

United fans were therefore excited when Declan Rice was being linked with a move to Old Trafford earlier this month, as the young defensive midfielder had just come to the end of a brilliant season at West Ham United.

The 20-year-old made 34 appearances in the Premier League for the Hammers last season and was instrumental in helping them finish 10th, earning him the Players’ Player of the Year award.

Rice’s standout performance was easily in the 1-0 over Arsenal at the London Stadium, in which he scored the winning goal and helped keep a clean sheet, earning him the Man of the Match award.

However, Manchester United fans will be devastated to learn that the England international has no intentions of playing for the Red Devils next season.

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In the run-up to England’s Nations League final clash with the Netherlands, Rice told reporters that his “focus is fully on playing for West Ham” and that he is “not thinking about anything else”.

Although the midfielder is perhaps merely being respectful to his current club, the fact that he signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Hammers earlier this season suggests that he is in fact committed to staying put.

Nevertheless, an attractive offer from the Red Devils could tempt West Ham to part ways with their star player.

Manchester United are yet to sign anyone this summer, although Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera have already been confirmed to be leaving at the end of the season.