Manchester United are backing Erik ten Hag with the right midfield target in the transfer window

A stopped clock is right twice a day and Manchester United got it right ending last summer with Casemiro when they had started it by discussing Kalvin Phillips.

Phillips, the Jonathan Greening of City's Treble-winning squad, started four times out of a possible 61 games following his £45million transfer from Leeds.

Alexis Sanchez, Fred, Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo all had their heads turned and changed course from the Etihad to Old Trafford. It has happened so often and ended so abruptly or acrimoniously for United you have to wonder if City did it strategically.

City do not stand still. Mateo Kovacic has replaced Ilkay Gundogan before his contract has been shredded and they are reputedly now open to depriving Arsenal of their prime target.

Also read: United must know how much a No.9 will cost after their last negotiation

Declan Rice was never going to be short of offers and West Ham have had due notice that Rice would not be forever blowing bubbles. A return to Chelsea long seemed inevitable until they ended last season with a manager sacked by Everton in January.

United are damned if they do and damned if they don't with Rice. He has been of interest to them since Jose Mourinho's time, back when Rice was transitioning from centre-back to central midfielder.

Two years ago, Rice approached Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw about the perks of playing for United on England duty. Only last month, Rice told talkSPORT, "when you play against Manchester United you really want to play well because they’re the biggest club in the world. Everyone watches Man United and you want to stand out. That’s what I try to do every game."

It is not exactly Paul Ince posing in a United shirt at the West Ham training ground but eyelashes