Manchester United ahead of Chelsea and Manchester City in race to sign 23-year-old midfielder - Reports

Manchester United are leading Chelsea and Manchester City in the race to sign West Ham United captain Declan Rice, according to Daily Mail editor Ian Ladyman (reported via FanNation Sports Illustrated).

The Hammers midfielder is a hot property in the English Premier League with several clubs keen to add him to their ranks.

Rice has made 38 club appearances this season, scoring four goals and laying four assists. At 23, he is already an established midfield engine and appears to have a bright future ahead of him.

Reports have claimed that West Ham value their young captain at £150 million. It is likely to prove to be an extremely difficult transfer pursuit for any club.

Ian Ladyman has claimed that since Chelsea are engulfed in ownership turmoil at the moment and Manchester City are busy chasing Erling Haaland, United are the front-runners to sign Rice.

Chelsea's ownership issues

Chelsea had been linked over the last few months with a possible move for their former academy player Declan Rice. However, the current scenario at the club has put all transfer activity on the back.

Chelsea's Russian owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned earlier this month by the UK Government. They seized his assets in the UK and put a stop to most transactions going through the club in order to freeze any money going to the Russian oligarch.

It puts the club in a difficult situation with many considering an administrative takeover for the time being. Abramovich has decided to sell the club, which has been green-lighted by the Government, on the condition that the new owner has their approval and none of the profits go to the Russian billionaire.

The Blues are unlikely to escape this turmoil any time soon and even if they do, their future remains uncertain.

Manchester United need a new central midfielder

Manchester United have been crying out for a world-class deep-lying midfielder for years now. The likes of Fred, Scott McTominay and Nemanja Matic are all decent as squad players, but no one has the ability to be a game-changer for the Red Devils.

Signing Rice could go a long way to solving that problem and Manchester United need to diligently chase the English midfielder this summer.