Former West Ham midfielder Trevor Sinclair has suggested that Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek are both good enough to walk straight into the current Manchester United team. The Red Devils are reportedly on the lookout for a new deep-lying midfielder ahead of the January transfer window, with Borussia Dortmund playmaker Jude Bellingham said to be a target.
The 18-year-old has emerged as one of Europe’s finest young prospects since joining the German heavyweights from Birmingham City last summer.
He was thrown into the first-team mix immediately upon his arrival and has since established himself as an England regular as a result of his age-defying performances.
United have also been linked with a move for Rice, who starred for the Three Lions at Euro 2020, for over a year.
He will be out of contract in the summer of 2024 as things stand and has reportedly turned down several extensions at the London Stadium.
Sinclair, who made 197 appearances for the Hammers between 1998 and 2003, has suggested that Rice would be a better buy for United if they decide to act on their interest in his services.
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The 48-year-old also highlighted the rapid rise of Soucek as a key factor in the emergence of West Ham’s midfield as one of the Premier League’s best.
“I’ve said it last season, we were talking about this exact fixture, and I said Declan Rice and Soucek would walk into the Manchester United team,” Sinclair told talkSPORT.
“I don’t think their two or three holding midfielders would walk into the West Ham’s team. I think they are probably as good as you’re going to get in the Premier League at the moment.
“Soucek brings his unique running power, he’s a real boss in both boxes, and Rice with his composure and ability to run the game at the back is absolutely brilliant.
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“The shape and the chemistry all over the pitch, everyone looks like they are enjoying playing for [David] Moyes.”
United will go up against Rice and Soucek when they travel to face West Ham in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
The Red Devils have enjoyed a strong start to the new campaign with three wins and a draw from their opening four matches.
Meanwhile, the Hammers have also managed to avoid defeat but currently occupy eighth place after drawing twice at the start of the season.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer declared earlier this week that he will be looking for an improved showing against West Ham after Tuesday’s surprise defeat at the hands of Young Boys in the Champions League.
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“I’ve got my job and we do our job,” Solskjaer told a press conference.
“You, in the media, tend to be judged by the behaviours and the outcomes rather than the intentions.
“We go into the game with good intentions, we make changes with good intentions, we go into a tackle with good intentions, we play a pass with good intentions. It’s always the outcome that decides the headline that we’ll see.
“And very rarely is the game either fantastic or very bad, it just hovers about good or not good enough. We know the expectations are high.
“We expect more of ourselves as well, the performance [against Young Boys] wasn’t up to our standard.”
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