"It’s not a gamble, is it?" - Pundit believes Manchester United should've signed PL superstar before his switch to Arsenal

Neil Warnock has claimed that Manchester United should have signed Declan Rice before he was snapped up by Arsenal. The former Premier League manager has shed light on how poor the Red Devils' recruitment has been in recent years.

Warnock has claimed that Manchester United made too many poor signings in the last few years leading to their downfall. The former Crystal Palace and Leeds United manager suggested that signing Rice from West Ham United was a no-brainer for the Red Devils.

He said on Seaman Says Podcast, as quoted by TBR Football:

“I thought Man United should sign Declan Rice before he went to Arsenal. And I thought, spend a good amount of money on a good player instead of buying three or four rubbish. When you look at Declan, you look at how he plays, it’s not a gamble, is it?"

Warnock added:

"He might have a bad game here and there, but it’s not a gamble where you pay, was it Sancho? They played 70 million quid or whatever. It just shows you though, doesn’t it, that when you spend the money on a good player, an established player or a marquee player, as I call them, you normally get results."

Declan Rice established himself as one of the best and most complete midfielders in the Premier League at his boyhood club West Ham United. He eventually secured a reported £105 million move to Arsenal in the summer of 2023 and has been a key player for the Gunners.

Rice has so far made 85 appearances for Mikel Arteta's side scoring 10 times and providing 17 assists. Manchester United, on the other hand, made nine major midfield signings in the last decade, reportedly spending £420 million in the process, but sit 15th in the table at present.

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Arsenal face competition from Manchester United for Serie A star: Reports

Arsenal are reportedly ready to step up their chase for Atalanta striker Mateo Retegui but face competition from Manchester United. Spanish outlet Fichajes.net claims that the Gunners have already gotten in touch with the Italian.

It has been claimed that Mikel Arteta is desperate to address the centre-forward problem this summer and wants a lethal finisher. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have both struggled to find the back of the net regularly and are now both out injured.

The north London giants are also considering other options like Benjamin Sesko and Alexander Isak. Atalanta, meanwhile, are expected to demand at least €60 million for their star attacker's signature.