Rio Ferdinand urges Man United to sign Declan Rice from West Ham
Rio Ferdinand explains why he'd prefer to see Man United sign Declan Rice ahead of Eduardo Camavinga this summer
Rio Ferdinand would prefer to see Manchester United sign Declan Rice than Eduardo Camavinga this summer.
The Red Devils have been linked with a move to sign young midfielder Camavinga from Rennes in recent days as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bolster his squad ahead of next season.
West Ham midfielder Rice has also been touted as a possible target for the Red Devils in midfield ahead of the new campaign as Manchester United look to challenge for the Premier League title next season.
The latest reports have suggested that Rice, 22, has turned down West Ham’s latest offers of a new contract amid interest from both Manchester United and Chelsea FC.
Rice earned lots of praise for his performances for West Ham last season as he scored two goals and made one assist in 32 Premier League games for the east London side.
Now, former Manchester United star Ferdinand has explained why he thinks Rice would probably be a better signing for the Red Devils than Rennes starlet Camavinga, who scored one goal and made two assists in 35 Ligue 1 games last term.
Speaking about Manchester United’s reported interest in Camavinga, Ferdinand told his FIVE YouTube channel: “I’ve not seen enough of him, if I’m honest.
“I saw his game against Paris Saint-Germain when he got man of the match… unreal.
“He’s got talent, obviously, is he going to come in and affect the team right now and become a star? Or is he going to be like Amad? Who comes in, [costs] £40m but is nowhere near the starting XI at the moment. Is that what we need?
“Or do we need someone like Declan Rice who is flying at the moment, who in an England shirt has taken it to other levels now?
“We all knew he was a good player at West Ham, but what Declan Rice is doing in the England team right now, for his age, is a madness.
“Then it comes down to have Man United got the funds to go and get him from West Ham? What are West Ham going to ask for?
“For me, I’ve got to be honest, football ability Camavinga and Rice are fantastic players, you can see the potential a mile off.
“But Rice brings you character. He brings you a character that’s probably not in the game as much now as it was in my generation. Someone who is a sponge with information, wants to get better, wants to get in to an environment where he has a chance of winning constantly, he’s envious of his mates who win at other clubs.
“He reminds me a little bit of myself at his age, you want to get there and get in to an environment where you can go and win, whether that’s Man United, he probably thinks West Ham at the moment, as well as he’s done there and as much as he loves the club and the people there, especially after a Euros, I did it after a World Cup with Leeds, I’ve smelt and tasted that chance of being around world-class players, I needed that every week.
“Again, the character, you can’t undervalue what character is – Jordan Henderson has it at Liverpool.
“Some people will say, ‘oh he’s not as good as him or as good as him’, but a lot of those ‘as good as him’ people don’t have that character to drive a dressing room. And I think Rice could grow into that.”
Manchester United finished second and without a trophy last term.
