Gary Neville has expressed reluctance about Manchester United potentially signing West Ham United's Declan Rice.
In an interview on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, the United legend questioned whether the club should really spend a lot of cash to bring Rice to Old Trafford. When asked whether the club should sign the English international, Neville said: "I don't know. I mean, you talk about £80 million, £90 million to get him out of West Ham."
"I'm not feeling that personally at this moment in time. But am I seeing a really good player who could potentially develop into something fantastic for the next 10 years? Yes, I really do think that."
In the past 12 months, Rice has risen meteorically, and he is now considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League. However, Neville believes that with Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic in Man Utd, there is no need for the young footballer to be added in the roster.
McTominay certainly deserves his position at United, battling his way through club ranks and is now a regular starter. The Scottish player has definitely improved on the ball, resulting in impressive performances over the past year.
And Neville isn't the only one who thinks United may be spending too much if West Ham will indeed offer Rice at £90 million. Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher thinks United could better invest their transfer budget if the club has that kind of money.
For now, it seems Rice is dedicated to West Ham, at least according to their official Twitter:
"I’m still only 20-years-old and as a holding midfielder I’ve still got so much to learn. I’ve just got to keep my head down and keep working hard. I’ve got a manager who believes in me and I just need to keep playing my football." - @_DeclanRice pic.twitter.com/vb7z1pFrEK — West Ham United (@WestHam) September 17, 2019
Last term, Rice started 34 Premier League games for the Hammers. The young player has seen a huge improvement in his career since being released by Chelsea's academy in 2014.
He is developing fast, and West Ham will have to do all they can if they want to retain a young footballer who's about to become a big star in his own right. Rice's current value is massive, given the prices of the top footballers in the Premier League. But looking into it in the years ahead, it's looking like he could be worth more.
