Declan Rice can give Manchester United answer to their transfer question

As Manchester United's players trudged off at the London Stadium, dejected and defeated, Declan Rice smiled through a round of media interviews and gave his shirt to a young fan.

The England international had delivered a midfield masterclass, eclipsing anyone else on the pitch. Much has been made of Casemiro's arrival at Old Trafford but Rice overshadowed the decorated Brazilian on Sunday night, producing a performance that had it all.

The Hammers captain led by example, rallied the troops and married attacking invention with defensive solidity and midfield bite in his side's fully deserved 1-0 win. United will surely have taken note.

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With Jude Bellingham set for Real Madrid, United's search for an additional midfielder to help take this team to the next level will move elsewhere. While a number nine is priority number one this summer, adding a central player is a close second.

United have options and Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are inked in starters, but with Christian Eriksen unlikely to play 50 matches a season and Fred and Scott McTominay not the long-term solution, reinforcements are required. And you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one than Rice.

Throw in the bonus of a contract expiring in a little over 12 months and United might be able to find a deal at a price attractive enough to not take away from their striker search even if reports suggest the Hammers will seek £100million for his services. Rice is an established England international and has the ability and intelligence to play as a sitting midfielder or a box-to-box general, while his creativity is often overlooked. All this a 24.

His manager David Moyes said after