Pundit claims Arsenal new boy will be 'signing of the season', claims Manchester United missed a trick by snubbing move for Gunners star

Tim Sherwood has told Manchester United that they missed out on the signing of the summer by not rivaling Arsenal for Declan Rice.

The 24-year-old was a player in demand following a superb season with West Ham United. He captained the Hammers to UEFA Europa Conference League glory, bagging five goals and four assists in 50 games across competitions.

Manchester United have undergone a midfield rebuild, signing Rice's England teammate Mason Mount. They're also chasing Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat after selling Fred to Fenerbahce.

However, the Red Devils didn't enter the race for Rice, with Arsenal breaking the British transfer window. He joined the Gunners for £105 million on a five-year deal.

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Sherwood reckons Rice would go down as the signing of the summer. He lauded the English midfielder, telling No Tippy Tappy Football:

"For me, the signing of the season will eventually be Declan Rice. I really believe that. I think he’s the player Arsenal needed."

Rice has bedded in seamlessly to Mikel Arteta's midfield in four games, constantly driving his team forward while helping at the back. Arsenal lacked fighting spirit in their Premier League title collapse last season, but the Englishman has that in abundance.

The England international has shown that he can perform on the biggest stage. He has earned 43 international caps, scoring three goals. He was part of the Three Lions team that finished runners-up at Euro 2020 and made the 2022 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals.

Sherwood went on to express his shock that Manchester United didn't move for the former West Ham captain. He's also bemused that the Red Devils didn't sign his fellow English compatriot Harry Kane who joined Bayern Munich in a deal worth up to £100 million:

“I’m just amazed that Man United never went out and signed him and Harry Kane. And then, for me, they would have challenged for the Premier League. But they’ve gone backwards.”

Erik ten Hag's Reds have had a busy summer transfer window, and expectations were high off the back of their Carabao Cup triumph.

They signed Mason Mount from Chelsea for £55 million plus £5 million in add-ons and goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan for £47.2 million. Young striker Rasmus Hojlund also arrived from Atalanta for £70 million.

However, there's a feeling that United lack an engine room in midfield that can help the team venture forward. They're looking to sign Amrabat, but many will have expected this profile of midfielder to be targeted earlier in the window.

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UEFA rules may have scuppered Manchester United's potential move for Arsenal's Declan Rice

The Red Devils would have struggled to afford Declan Rice.

Manchester United have been cautious with their spending after spending over £200 million last summer. The Old Trafford hierarchy wanted to give Ten Hag the best chances of returning to the UEFA Champions League, which he succeeded.

However, that comes at the expense of this summer's transfer budget, with The Daily Mail's Mike Keegan detailing that UEFA have a new regulation on spending. That was introduced in June 2022, which rules that clubs cannot spend more than 70% of their total income on transfers, wages, coaches and agents' fees by 2025-26.

Manchester United's accounts released earlier this year reportedly revealed that more than £300 million is outstanding in transfer fees. Their summer transfer budget was heavily dependent on player sales.

The Red Devils have struggled to offload players, with the likes of Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay still at the club despite offers.