Liverpool could now reportedly miss out on Declan Rice with the West Ham midfielder set on playing UEFA Champions League football next season.
According to the Daily Mail, the England international has his mind made up on competing in Europe’s premier club competition, with Manchester United now joining the race for Rice as the Red Devils look to reunite the midfielder with Mason Mount, the midfielder’s best mate.
Rice and Mount came through together at Chelsea before the former was cut by the Blues’ academy, sending him on the path to West Ham and to Premier League stardom, and United could now beat Liverpool to the pair this summer.
The Manchester giants can secure Champions League football tonight if they don’t lose to Chelsea at Old Trafford, and the result could see Liverpool miss out on both Rice and Mount, two players the Anfield side have been heavily linked with in recent weeks.
Indeed, United could have the spending power to sign both midfielders depending on the outcome of their takeover bid, and for Liverpool, moving on to new targets now could save the Anfield side a lot of hassle in the coming weeks in regards to trying to recruit Rice and Mount.
Liverpool have to drop Rice interest with UCL dream all-but over
Liverpool have always felt like outsiders when it came to the race to land Rice, and with United now in contention and the midfielder stating his intention to join a Champions League club, the Merseyside giants should do themselves a favour and move on from the West Ham captain.
As we know, Liverpool’s chances of qualifying for the Champions League remain borderline impossible given who United play tonight and on Sunday, and with Rice making his intentions for the summer known, Klopp and his team can save time and money by moving on to other targets.