Manchester United and Erik ten Hag can save £150m by signing perfect Declan Rice alternative

The summer of 2022 promises to bring an array of changes to Manchester United, both on the pitch and off it.

Whilst the hiring of a new permanent manager is United's most important task this summer, big changes need to be made to the first-team squad. The club is in desperate need of a major shake-up taking place and several positions need bolstering.

Whilst United must target the signing of a younger striker, particularly with Edinson Cavani poised to move on and Cristiano Ronaldo's future currently remaining uncertain, the addition of a new defensive-minded midfielder has to be right at the very top of their do-do list. The holding midfield berth has been a glaring weakness in the Reds' armoury throughout the campaign and it is vital that they add a world-class operator to that area of the team.

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West Ham United star Declan Rice has long since been identified as the ideal answer to United's midfield problems and a vast number of United's supporters want to see him brought to Old Trafford. The England international, as reported by the Manchester Evening New s in September, is United's top target when it comes to the task of adding a new defensive-minded midfielder to the squad.

He has gone from strength-to-strength in the last couple of years and has been a key part of what the Hammers have achieved under David Moyes, both this season and in previous years. He has gone up through the gears on a sharp trajectory and his qualities are impossible to ignore.

But given that he is English, only 23-years-old and performing outstandingly well in the Premier League on a consistent basis, United are going to have