Rice, Kamara, Phillips - Manchester United's midfield summer transfer search

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

With the January window closed, Manchester United will prioritise signing a central midfielder when they get down to business during the summer transfer window - but who might they recruit?

Having finished as runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League last season, key figures in the Old Trafford boardroom missed out on a top-level holding player.

Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo were signed as part of a triple statement of intent.

However, amid concrete interest in Declan Rice and alternative options, United were unable to strengthen in that area and, in turn, will revisit their search at the end of this campaign.

Despite concerns that West Ham might dig their heels in over a valuation for Rice, the England international is still understood to be target number one in that regard.

Amadou Haidara, Boubacar Kamara, Kalvin Phillips and Ruben Neves represent alternative targets.

Here is the state of play with those players and others linked with the Premier League giants;

Amadou Haidara (RB Leipzig): His name started to surface on account of his existing relationship with recently-appointed interim manager Ralf Rangnick - which derived from the German's association with the Red Bull group. That rumoured mid-season approach failed to materialise, though, as the Mali international mulls over his options before the summer transfer window.

Boubacar Kamara (Marseille): An alternative target to Rice, the Marseille graduate represents excellent value for money as he enters the final months of his contract with the Ligue 1 side. Kamara would have been available for a cut-price this January but, once again, it proved to be radio silence in that respect from United and the player himself. You would