According to journalist Dean Jones, Manchester United have been given assurances that West Ham's Declan Rice is open to moving away from London.

What's the latest transfer news involving Declan Rice?

Manchester Evening News claim that West Ham defensive midfielder Rice would be interested in a move to Man United this summer.

However, the report suggests that a deal in this transfer window is unlikely as the expectation is that the 22-year-old will remain at the Hammers for one more season.

What has Dean Jones said about Rice leaving West Ham?

Journalist Jones claims that United have held conversations regarding Rice and that the Manchester outfit have been given assurances that he would be comfortable leaving London in the future.

Speaking on The Football Terrace, Jones said, “Declan Rice as well is a target, they are looking at players that are not necessarily all next generation players but they’re all current England players.

[gmsStartingEleven url="https://givemesport.starting11.co.uk/2020-01-03/"]

“They’ve had conversations privately to understand where it’s at, where Declan Rice’s mind is at. They’ve been assured, as have Man City and Liverpool, that if Declan Rice leaves West Ham he would be willing to move outside of London. I think that was one of the things that a lot of clubs weren’t sure about."

Jones added, “There are assurances there that his limit isn’t London, he’s got his eyes open to this."

Can Man United afford Rice? 

According to Manchester Evening News, West Ham value Rice in the region of a £100m. Jones reaffirmed that any deal for Rice would not be cheap and revealed that the England international's personal demands could also be a significant stumbling block.

Jones told The Football Terrace, “The problem is Declan Rice isn’t going to be a cheap deal in any sense. It’s not just the transfer fee here. From what I’m hearing his personal demands if it comes to him actually leaving are going to be pretty substantial.”

Check out what Jones said in full about Man United's interest in Rice in the video below...

What are Rice's Premier League stats for 2020/21? 

Rice had another impressive campaign for the Hammers, as his efforts contributed to the club's lofty sixth place finish in the Premier League this season.

In a defensive sense, the 22-year-old has proven he would be an upgrade on United's current players in the middle of the park.

According to WhoScored, Rice made 1.8 interceptions per league game which would be the highest of any Red Devils midfielder. In comparison, Scott McTominay and Fred made 0.9 and 1.5 respectively. Rice's WhoScored season rating of 7.01 is also higher than any defensive midfielder at United.

The West Ham powerhouse made 1.8 tackles and won 1.4 aerial duels per league game. In contrast, McTominay and Fred made 2.7 and 1.6 tackles respectively, with 1.5 and 0.3 successful aerial duels.

The West ham anchor is also younger than the United pair and his potential ceiling appears to be higher.