Manchester United appear to have ditched their interest in West Ham skipper Declan Rice, as Erik Ten Hag is aiming to sign Frenkie De Jong from Barcelona and Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund, according to The Athletic.
United have been heavily linked with a potential swoop to sign Rice in recent transfer windows but it appears that Ten Hag is instead looking for a different profile of midfielder.
The club did secure the signing of defensive midfielder Casemiro from Real Madrid in the summer and now appear to be focusing on dynamic playmakers.
De Jong has become a mainstay for Barcelona and was a major target for United in the summer, while Bellingham was hugely impressive for England at the World Cup.
It remains to be seen if United will qualify for the Champions League, as they are currently fifth and three points behind Spurs; one has to assume that they will need to gain entry into the competition if they are to complete these deals.
But it means another suitor for Rice has fallen by the wayside.
I imagine Macallister of Brigtion and Morocco’s Amrabat would be hogh on the list for the top clubs this January/summer and both would be considerabky cheaper than we would want for Rice.