Breaking news: just in from Fabrizio Romano, as Ralf Ragnick gives a go ahead message to Manchester United as the are about to seal a deal for the 100 million rated player .

 

The Red Devils spent big last summer and 

intend to do so again at the end of this season

, by which time they hope to have a new 

permanent manager installed Ragnick

 moving into a consultancy role.

Despite the degree of uncertainty surrounding

 the manager role at the club in the long 

term, United want to make a head start 

on transfer planning.

They have long been rumoured to have 

an interest in signing West Ham star Rice 

and now The sun report that Rangnick – 

who has had time to assess the needs of 

the squad – has agreed to the club pushing 

on with a ‘detailed assessment’ of the 

midfielder.

United are lacking a top-class, specialist

 holding midfielder, with veteran Nemanja 

Matic not the player he once was, and Rice 

has been identified as the ideal solution 

to their issues in the centre of the park.

There had initially been fears around United

 that West Ham’s excellent form this season

 could block a potential transfer, with 

Rice likely to remain in east London if the 

Hammers get Champions League football.

But United’s hopes of landing the 22-year

-old have been boosted by West Ham’s 

struggles in December, dropping 10 points 

in the last month of the year.

The Irons will still demand a massive fee

 for Rice irrespective of whether they are 

playing in the Champions League or not and

 United know it will take a bid in excess 

of £100million to land the England 

international.

The Sun’s report claims United want 

to ‘seize their chance in the coming weeks’ 

and are looking to put all the groundwork in 

place before making an official bid at the 

end of the season.

United are keen to get Rice in as soon as 

possible in the summer and want to make 

him the centre-piece of their midfield.

But the Red Devils are not the only club 

interested, with Manchester City and Chelsea

 both long-time admirers, which means 

getting all their ducks lined up in advance 

of the summer window is of paramount

 importance.