Ole Gunnar Solskjaer names Arsenal star Manchester United 'should' have signed
Former Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted his old club should have signed Declan Rice during the course of his managerial tenure at Old Trafford. The midfielder briefly became the most expensive signing in British football history when he moved to Arsenal from West Ham United last summer.
The Gunners had two club-record bids rejected by West Ham — the first a £90m offer and its opening offer thought to be worth £80m plus add-ons. The deal eclipsed the £72m Arsenal paid for Nicolas Pepe from Lille in 2019.
Rice signed a five-year deal at Arsenal until 2028, with the option of a further year. His move to the Emirates Stadium brought a decade-long spell at West Ham to an end, rising from a youth-team player to club captain.
Solskjaer made only two midfield signings during his time in the United hotseat, in the shape of Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek. And now speaking on The Overlap podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Solskjaer admits his old club should have made a move for the England international.
He said: «I really like him [Declan Rice] as a player – we’ve discussed him a few times, and I think we would’ve done well with him in midfield.
»His legs, covering the pitch, and I think he improved a lot on his playmaking as well. Obviously, he would’ve cost some money, but we could’ve and should’ve gone for him."
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