"He has just been a really good performer" - Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville name Manchester United target as best young player of the season
Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have both named Manchester United target Declan Rice as their Premier League young player of the season.
The West Ham midfielder has made 49 appearances this season, scoring five goals and making four assists. His performances in defensive midfield for the Hammers in recent years have made him one of the most sought-after players in European football.
Rice is an automatic first-choice for England, with his current manager David Moyes suggesting that the 23-year-old is worth in the region of £150 million.
Manchester United are desperate for reinforcements this summer, with a revamp in midfield surely on top of the priority list for incoming manager Erik ten Hag.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Manchester United legend Neville named Rice as his youngster of the year. When asked about the player's future, Neville claimed:
"The English player that all the top clubs want. Whether they can get him out of West Ham, whether they can afford him, is another matter. He may have to do another season at West Ham.
"He has just been a really good performer in a great West Ham season, reaching the semi-final of the Europa League. He is a massive performer for them."
Gary Neville warns Erik ten Hag ahead of Manchester United arrival
The former United captain also went on to discuss the imminent arrival of Ajax head coach Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
The Dutchman will arrive at Old Trafford with an excellent reputation following a trophy-laden spell in charge of the Amsterdam giants. The Guardian report that the 52-year-old will arrive at the club six weeks early to get started on the mammoth job in hand.
However, Neville has advised Ten Hag to take some time off for himself, with the pundit declaring on Sky Sports (via Manchester Evening News):
"I think if he's coming over for a short period of time... the players are only going to be there for a week, (he needs to) sit down with the players one to one and get to know them.
"But I hope he goes on holiday for a couple of weeks and gets some break because the job's big at United and the seasons are long.
"So I hope this week is to get to meet the staff because the players will all disappear after this week. I'm hoping it's a 'getting to know you' trip rather than sitting down and starting to look at tactics and all that stuff."