Erik ten Hag has revealed he pushed for Manchester United to sign Declan Rice in 2023, admitting the club could have done more before he joined Arsenal.
Erik ten Hag has revealed he wanted Manchester United to sign Declan Rice before the midfielder joined Arsenal in 2023, and admitted the club could have done more to test West Ham United's resolve.
Speaking in an interview with The Athletic, the former United manager explained that Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong was his first choice to strengthen his midfield. United spent several weeks in negotiations for the Dutchman, his former player at Ajax, but De Jong ultimately turned down the move.
Ten Hag said he then pushed for Rice, but that West Ham were reluctant to sell their captain. Asked whether United did enough, he said, "I think we could have done more to test," adding that he did not know exactly how the process unfolded behind the scenes.
The Dutchman stressed that he was never involved in the financial side of negotiations, but insisted that a club of United's size needs outstanding players to compete.
United instead turned to Mason Mount, signing the England international from Chelsea that summer. Rice, meanwhile, became the subject of a fierce battle between Arsenal and Manchester City, with Mikel Arteta's side eventually winning the race in a deal worth £105 million, at the time the most expensive transfer of a British player.
It proved to be a defining signing. Rice quickly established himself as one of the first names on Arteta's teamsheet, and has since scored 21 goals and provided 38 assists for the club.
He played a central role as Arsenal ended their 22-year wait for the Premier League title last season, regularly wearing the captain's armband in Martin Ødegaard's absence. His performances earned him a place on the 30-man shortlist for this year's Ballon d'Or, alongside teammates Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba, with the ceremony taking place in London next week.
Meanwhile, United have struggled for consistency, and Ten Hag was sacked in October 2024, just over a year after Rice moved to north London.
Rice is now reportedly close to signing a new long-term contract at Arsenal that would make him the club's joint-highest earner, alongside Bukayo Saka.
The 27-year-old has started the new season in fine form, contributing to three of Arsenal's league goals, each of which put them ahead. He captained the side in Tuesday's 3-0 Champions League win over Lille, winning all of his ground and aerial duels.
Arsenal travel to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday, before hosting Everton at The Emirates on Saturday.