An update has emerged on the transfer saga surrounding Declan Rice and Manchester United's involvement in the race for his signature…
What's the latest on Declan Rice to Manchester United?
According to the Daily Mail, the Red Devils are viewed as an outside contender to secure the signing of the West Ham United captain in the summer transfer window.
The report claims that Erik ten Hag's side have made an enquiry for the England international with a view to submitting an offer of £40m, in a deal that would also see Anthony Elanga and Harry Maguire make their way to the London Stadium.
However, it states that Arsenal, who have had a bid of £90m rejected by the Hammers, are currently the favourites to sign the 24-year-old enforcer, whilst Premier League champions Manchester City are also eyeing a swoop for him.
West Ham are said to want at least £100m for the defensive midfielder and it remains to be seen whether they would be open to taking two players in a part-exchange deal, with United to offset a large chunk of the fee.
How did Declan Rice perform last season?
The English battler, who was once dubbed a "Rolls Royce" by journalist Joshua Mbu, enjoyed a terrific campaign in the Premier League, and his performances suggest that he would be a big upgrade on current Red Devils midfielder Scott McTominay.
Rice averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.19 across 37 league outings in 2022/23 and contributed 3.8 tackles and interceptions per game to go along with four goals and two assists.
This is not a flash in the pan for the 24-year-old star, either, as the Hammers academy product averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.19 across 36 league matches in 2021/22 and made four tackles and interceptions per clash.
These statistics show that the £60k-per-week titan, who won 58% of his individual duels in the season just gone, has been a consistent performer over a significant period of time in the Premier League.
McTominay, on the other hand, endured a difficult 2022/23 campaign as the Scotland international averaged an unimpressive Sofascore rating of 6.70 across 24 matches and made 1.9 tackles and interceptions per game for the side.
The 26-year-old had enjoyed a better 2021/22 as the towering midfielder averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.91 across 30 clashes and swept up ahead of the defence with 3.2 tackles and interceptions per outing, though this is still less impressive than the United target's recent form from a defensive and more general perspective.
These statistics suggest that McTominay, who has never averaged a rating higher than 7.08 in seven seasons, is not capable of performing at the level that Rice has for West Ham in the last two campaigns.
Therefore, Ten Hag could be landing a big upgrade on the Scottish dud by swooping this summer to sign the England international, who has the quality to deliver higher-quality defensive displays on a regular basis.