Dimitar Berbatov fires warning to Manchester United over move for Arsenal target summer target

Dimitar Berbatov has warned his former club Manchester United about a possible summer move for West Ham star Declan Rice.

Rice is expected to leave the Hammers at the end of the season after refusing to sign a contract extension with the east London club.

Arsenal have made Rice their top summer transfer target and are confident of signing him ahead of Chelsea, who have long been admirers, but United are also interested and may make another bid after offering £100 million last summer.

Rice is expected to cost a small fortune, with West Ham manager David Moyes claiming that he would ‘blow the British transfer record out of the water’.

‘It all depends on what the manager wants and how he envisions the team in his head,’ Berbatov said of United’s interest in the England midfielder.

‘Declan and Casemiro play in the same position, but the main difference between them is that one is 24 and the other is 30.

‘One is nearing the end of their career, while the other is still in their prime and producing high-quality football.

‘Of course, clubs will be interested in Declan Rice, and the main thing Declan will want from a new club is the assurance that he will play.

‘If he goes to Manchester United, he’ll want to play, demand to play, and he won’t want to sit on the bench.

‘He will not join Manchester United if he believes he will be a backup to Casemiro.

‘It would be strange if Manchester United signed Declan Rice after signing Casemiro from Real Madrid.

‘The only option would be to play them both at the same time, but doing so would require you to sacrifice another midfielder who plays a more advanced role up the pitch.’