Manchester United legend, Bryan Robson, has revealed how the Red Devils made a major blunder by allowing midfielder, Declan Rice, to join Arsenal.
Rice, who made his mark with his childhood club, West Ham United, was reportedly a target for United in the summer of 2021.
However, they were deterred by the Hammers’ asking price of £80-£90 million, and the Englishman ultimately signed with the Gunners for a reported £100 million plus £5 million in add-ons in 2023.
Rice’s reputation has only increased following his transfer to the Emirates; the 27-year-old is now widely regarded as one of the best and most dependable midfielders globally.
Despite the acquisitions of midfielders Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba, Robson has emphasized that Manchester United lack anyone with Rice’s caliber and resilience.
He told talkSPORT, via teamTALK, “Some players can manage it (playing three times a week). I observe individuals like Rice at Arsenal. He participated in nearly every single match.
“They rarely seemed to rest him, and that is due to his exceptional talent. For me, it is essential to identify who a remarkable player is, as he will be in your lineup almost every week.
“There are specific matches where you feel confident enough to rest one of your top players and substitute someone else who needs to demonstrate their worth. I believe it will be somewhat more challenging this season because of that, especially with the Champions League fixtures.”
Manchester United and Arsenal will discover their UEFA Champions League opponents later today (Friday) during the official draw, which is set to take place at Monaco’s Grimaldi Forum.