Declan Rice: Gary Neville explains why United should have signed Arsenal leader | OneFootball

Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes his former club made a huge mistake by failing to sign Declan Rice. The English midfielder spent a significant portion of his formative years at Chelsea, but it was at West Ham United that he found his true calling.

Rice joined the Hammers’ academy in 2013 and broke into the senior side two years later. After eight seasons at the London Stadium, the 27 year old was signed by Arsenal in a club-record £105 million deal.

United were also linked with the Englishman for years, especially since their midfield was a weak point in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Rice was one of the rising stars in the Premier League and would have solved a lot of issues at Old Trafford, but it was the Gunners who beat the competition to his signature.

Neville believes that his former club have lived to regret the decision not to sign Rice.

Neville rues decision not to sign duo

Speaking on The Overlap, Neville revealed that he was devastated when Rice moved to the Emirates. He said: “No, no. Right, hear me out. I do think Declan Rice is someone… when he went to Arsenal for £100m, I was gutted.”

The former United skipper went on to claim that his former club would have signed both Harry Kane and Rice back in the day, adding: “I think he’s a Manchester United player. He’s the player, Harry Kane, Declan Rice, that Manchester United would have always signed back in the day. You don’t let Declan Rice go to any other club.”

“He is a player who will win you the league, right? To me, on Sunday, he is the player I am looking at. This is not me putting pressure on him, by the way. This is me expecting that this is the Roy Keane moment, the Gerrard moment […].”

United were also linked with Kane during the summer of 2023, but the move never materialised. While the Englishman moved to Bayern Munich, the Red Devils signed Rasmus Hojlund, who is currently on loan at Napoli.

United remain linked to Kane

While United would love to sign Rice, it is unlikely that Arsenal will allow him to leave any time soon. The Red Devils may have to invest more than £100 million in a new midfielder this summer, but the position would have been sorted had the Englishman moved to Old Trafford instead of the Emirates.

Declan Rice Stats: 2025/26 Season

Source: Transfermarkt.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils remain linked with Kane, even though a previous report relayed by The Peoples Person suggests that he will extend his stay at the Allianz Arena. United also missed a trick by failing to make a move for Kane, who would have instantly improved the team.

The Red Devils’ decision to invest in young Hojlund has already backfired, with the player failing to make an impact. After a difficult 2024/25 season, the Dane moved back to Serie A at the beginning of this season, with the Premier League giants breaking the bank for Benjamin Sesko last summer.

The Slovenian has endured a mixed campaign so far, scoring 10 goals in 29 appearances. Kane, meanwhile, has continued his golden run in the Bundesliga this season, scoring 50 goals and setting up six more in 42 games.

Final Thoughts

United cannot afford to repeat their past mistakes and must do everything possible to sign Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson this summer to strengthen their midfield. The Red Devils have been rewarded for investing in Premier League-proven duo of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, and Anderson could prove to be their own Rice.

Featured image Stu Forster via Getty Images

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