Overview
- Fernandes, speaking on JoelBeyaTV on Friday, said he wanted Rice at Old Trafford and called the England midfielder a perfect fit for Manchester United.
- Rice left West Ham for Arsenal in 2023 for about £105m and has since become a key figure in Arsenal's title chase and run to the Champions League final.
- Fernandes recently won the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year with 45% of votes, finishing 28 ahead of Rice, and he sits on 19 league assists, one off the single‑season record.
- The pair trained together in Portugal's Algarve in the summer before Rice's move, and Fernandes praised Rice's character while noting their different roles make direct stat comparisons unfair.
- Former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said United held talks about signing Rice, keeping the missed deal in focus as a case study in United's recruitment choices.