Price for Declan Rice: Man Utd will need to pay £80m for West Ham midfielder

West Ham set price for Rice

If Manchester United want to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice they will have to stump up £80m.

That’s the claim in The Sun with the paper reporting that the Hammers have no intention of letting their star asset leave on the cheap.

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Apparently United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer “kept tabs on the England midfielder over the summer”, and he is ready to take the plunge.

On Thursday the 20-year-old Rice was named in the Three Lions’s squad for the upcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers against Czech Republic and Bulgaria.

The Sun quotes Rice telling FourFourTwo magazine that he believes he has “got the ability” to play for United.

But asked if he expected to move to Old Trafford any time soon, he replied: “It’s all about the timing and I don’t think the timing is right for me at all. I’ve still got so much to learn.”

Martin in the middle

Man Utd have joined the hunt for Martin Odegaard, reports the Daily Mirror, but they face a “transfer battle” with Arsenal and Liverpool.

The 20-year-old, who is contracted to Real Madrid, has been making waves on loan at Real Sociedad this season, and it was stated earlier in the week that the Gunners have already had their scouts run the rule over the Norwegian as they look to replace Mesut Ozil.

But the Mirror adds that Solskjaer is “keen for his compatriot to be a part of his squad rebuild”, and is confident he can persuade Real Madrid to sell.

The Daily Star says that Odegaard’s asking price is likely to be in the region of £25m and the club that wins the hunt will be the one that can guarantee him “regular top-flight football”.

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Super Mario

Sky Sports claim that as far as finding strikers goes, United are looking at both Mario Mandzukic and Callum Wilson.

After another dispiriting result on Thursday, a goalless bore draw away to AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, United are in desperate need of a player who knows what a goal looks like.

To that end Solskjaer is “continuing to monitor” the pair with the 33-year-old Mandzukic available after turning down moves to United, Paris Saint-Germain and a club in Qatar.

Sky Sports Italia says that the Croatian, who has just less than two years to run on his contract, is at a loose end having failed to win the faith of new Juve boss Maurizio Sarri.

Cherry picking

As for the 27-year-old Wilson, the Bournemouth frontman has three years left on his Cherries deal but Sky says he “would fall in line with United’s policy of trying to recruit top English talent”.

Having already scored five goals in seven Premier League games this season for Bournemouth, Wilson has won over Solskjaer and a bid is expected in the new year.