Manchester United ponder offer of £40m and 2 players for Arsenal target Declan Rice - Reports

Manchester United are reportedly involved in a transfer battle with Manchester City and Arsenal in the race for West Ham United's Declan Rice.

The Gunners have had two offers rejected by the Hammers, the latest of which promised £75 million in fixed fee and £15 million in add-ons. They are primed to make a third bid which is closer to West Ham's valuation of £100 million.

According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United have offered £40 million plus Anthony Elanga and Harry Maguire. The two players are evidently not in Erik ten Hag's plans and are deemed expendable.

The English centre-back has fallen down the pecking order below Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez. Ten Hag, on several occasions, preferred playing left-back Luke Shaw in central defense while Maguire was on the bench.

Elanga will also find it incredibly hard to displace the in-form Marcus Rashford down the left flank. The Swedish winger, whose contract expires in June 2026, started just seven games across competitions under the Dutch manager.

Meanwhile, Manchester City are reportedly keen to formalize their interest in Rice following Ilkay Gundogan's decision to move to Barcelona. It remains to be seen which out of the three English giants manage to secure the 24-year-old's signature in the summer.

Rice's contract expires at the end of next season, so it is almost a given that he will be sold for a huge profit before that. West Ham signed him as a free agent from Chelsea's academy a decade ago.

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Former AC Milan star urges Timber to pick Arsenal over Manchester United

Arsenal and Manchester United are reportedly keen on signing Ajax centre-back Jurrien Timber.

According to Manchester Evening News, the Gunners recently made a £30 million offer for the Dutchman. But Ajax are said to be holding out for a fee in the region of £50 million.

Timber, who ended last season with 47 appearances across competitions, looks all set to leave the Dutch giants two years before his contract expires. The 22-year-old claimed in April that he wanted to leave the club at the end of the season.

Former Ajax and AC Milan midfielder Urby Emanuelson has urged Timber to pick Arsenal over Manchester United due to Mikel Arteta's record with young players. He told SportWitness:

"I would choose Arsenal [for Timber]. Why? They treat young players very well there. If you see how they deal with [Gabriel] Martinelli, [Martin] Odegaard, [Bukayo] Saka…

Manchester United also boast an impressive record when it comes to producing first-team stars from the academy. Marcus Rashford, Anthony Elanga, Scott McTominay and Brandon Williams are some of the names who have made the leap from their academy to their senior team in recent years.