West Ham must begin preparing for the unwanted reality of the post-Declan Rice era, with the club captain seemingly set for a move away.
Interestingly a move for the Englishman to Old Trafford may spark a domino effect that could see Scott McTominay go in the opposite direction.
What’s the latest on Scott McTominay to West Ham?
According to the Telegraph (via talkSPORT), Manchester United would be willing to offer the Scotsman or Harry Maguire in a part-exchange deal for Rice.
The report details that the 26-year-old is “firmly on the radar” and he will be allowed to leave the Red Devils this summer.
In a piece by the Sun, United are set to demand around £50m for the midfielder so even if Rice isn’t included in the deal he will still cost a sizeable amount.
Would Scott McTominay be a smart signing for West Ham?
The 39-cap international has made 209 appearances since making his first-team debut in 2017.
However, despite being a regular under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjær, the £60k-per-week man has endured a difficult season under Erik ten Hag and has been displaced by the imperious Casemiro.
Across the term, the pivot has only managed to make 16 starts in all competitions, and in the Premier League, he has been used as a substitute more times (14) than he has begun games (10).
His uncertain future was condemned by a dismal performance on the opening day of the domestic season last term against Brighton is what prompted the United hierarchy to launch a last-ditch attempt to prise Casemiro away from Real Madrid.
As a result of this game he was branded as “not good enough” and having a lack of “decision making and football intelligence” by Roy Keane.
It is unclear if McTominay possesses the necessary attributes to fill Rice’s humongous avoid as the former Chelsea academy graduate outperforms his positional peer in a number of metrics, including progressive passes per 90 (6.60 vs 2.77), progressive carries per 90 (2.42 vs 1.46), interceptions (1.73 vs 0.97) and pass completion (86.5% vs 81.8).
The manner in which Rice demands the ball off his defenders and executes a forward-thinking pass, as well as having exceptional ball recovery skills.
Described as "liability" by United reporter Rob Blanchette, McTominay has failed to convince anyone of a United persuasion of his pedigree or quality.
Asking for £50m is extremely ambitious, but if the Red Devils receive any offers in this region then it should immediately be accepted.
Meanwhile, West Ham must look for other, more reliable midfield alternatives. Indeed, swapping their talisman for such an average asset would undoubtedly be seen as a disaster.
