BREAKING NEWS:‼️ I have told Man United board to sign Him at all cost, He’s exactly what we are lacking now at United,I know they gave us Chido Obi and Heaven but we need Him too here”, Rio Ferdinand named the ONE Arsenal Academy player that He wants Man United to sign now after having an outstanding season with the Gunners – Not Lewis Skelly and Not Nwaneri

Rio Ferdinand has revealed he advised insiders at Manchester United to sign Declan Rice ‘at all costs’ before he moved to Arsenal.

Ferdinand has hailed Rice as ‘the man’ and revealed he told people inside Old Trafford to secure his signature before Arsenal struck a deal.

Manchester City tried to hijack Arsenal’s move for Rice but United were not involved in the transfer battle despite being heavily and repeatedly linked with a move.

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‘Declan Rice didn’t make a choice [between Manchester United and Arsenal,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel. ‘Man United didn’t bid for him.

‘United f****d that s*** up. They f****d that one up because I wanted Declan and I advised a couple of people there to get Declan at all costs.

‘And they didn’t even bid. They didn’t even bid. He’s the man, I love him. I would have taken him.’

Rice, 26, played over 50 games for Arsenal last season and is set for a similar tally this term as a key player for Mikel Arteta.

The midfielder has also developed into one of England’s most important players, helping the Three Lions reach back-to-back European Championship finals.

‘I thought Man United should sign Declan Rice before he went to Arsenal,’ he said on The Seaman Says podcast with Betway.

‘And I thought, spend a good amount of money on a good player, instead of buying three or four rubbish.

‘When you look at Declan, you look at how he plays, it’s not a gamble, is it? He might have a bad game here and there, but it’s not a gamble.’

Despite Rice’s impressive form for club and country, the midfielder recently attracted criticism from Manchester United legend Paul Scholes.

‘Declan Rice, I’m not disappointed by him, but I don’t really know what he is anymore,’ he said.

‘Is he the holding midfielder? I’ve heard Gary Neville say he should be getting forward and scoring goals. I’ve never seen him that way.

‘I think he’s almost got a bit stuck in not really knowing what he is and Mikel Arteta not knowing what he is.’