Ex-Manchester United striker Andrew Cole believes his former club would be better off investing their money in Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham than West Ham’s Declan Rice.
It was reported last week that the Hammers have slapped a £150m asking price on Rice, and Cole thinks that Bellingham would probably be a more worthwhile purchase:
“£150m for a holding midfield player? That’s a lot of money. Not sure how many goals he’s going to get you from that position. We were just talking, if the opportunity comes about when Rice is available in the summer and you had Bellingham come available, who would you spend your £150m on?”
“Personally, I would go with Bellingham, he’s 18 years of age and he goes that way, that way [points up and down], he creates chances, he scores goals. For such a young man, his ability is absolutely frightening. Bellingham has something extra, just energy.”
To be honest with you, it’s very unlikely that United will be prepared to spend £150m on either player. Some reports claim that Rice is the club’s number one summer target but we shall see how that plays out.
The 23-year-old’s preference is still believed to be Chelsea, despite their current situation, while Manchester City have been suggested as a potential alternative destination in recent days.
When it comes to Bellingham, it could be an equally complicated transfer to complete, with Dortmund not willing to let both the teenager and Erling Haaland leave in the same summer.
