12 June 2023 , 23:37
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Jamie Carragher has urged Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag to prioritise signing Declan Rice over Mason Mount this summer.
Ten Hag's United are expected to make a formal bid for Mount, 24, shortly. Mount's existing deal at Stamford Bridge expires in June 2024, with Chelsea struggling to agree a new contract with the England international, who graduated from the club's academy.
Rice, also 24, is almost certain to be on the move this summer after West Ham chief David Sullivan confirmed their captain will be allowed to leave. Arsenal are leading the race for his signature, but other Premier League clubs are poised to join the transfer race.
"Mason Mount is an upgrade on Christian Eriksen in terms of where he plays," Carragher told The Metro. "But going back to Declan Rice, United are one of the few teams at the top who don't play 4-3-3, it's usually two midfielders with Bruno Fernandes.
"Rice and Mount, they are very different players and it shouldn't be one or the other but when you look at what Manchester United have got right now, I actually think Declan Rice would be a better fit for them. A lot more expensive, of course.
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"I do think he [Mount] is a good player and I like him, I wanted Liverpool to get him. Lots of coaches have picked him and like him. There is already a good player in there but Rice would suit United more than Mount in terms of how they set up."
Mason Mount and Declan Rice are team-mates at international level (Getty Images)Do you agree with Jamie Carragher? Let us know in the comments below!
Mount was linked with Liverpool but speculation has quietened since they signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton. A move to Old Trafford could be Mount's best chance of playing European football next term after Chelsea finished 12th in the Premier League.
Mount and Rice are team-mates at international level. They were also in the same year group at Chelsea's academy before Rice was released in 2014, allowing him to join West Ham. Both players have since gone to become established Premier League stars.
Mount has made 195 appearances for Chelsea following loan spells with Vitesse and Derby. The 36-cap international has won the Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup, as well as lose three FA Cup finals and one Carabao Cup final.
Rice has clocked up more than 200 outings in the Premier League and recently captained West Ham to a 2-1 win against Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final. He has won 41 senior caps for England and three senior caps for the Republic of Ireland.
Speaking to talkSPORT earlier this month, Sullivan said: "We promised him he [Rice] could go. He set his heart on going. You can't ask for a man who has committed more to us this season... We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down."
Departing Chelsea manager Frank Lampard was asked about Mount's future by reporters last month. He replied: "I don't know... that's between Mason and the club."