Rice not even half the player Casemiro is for Souness

Stuart Telford

• 11 Feb 2023 14:32 CST
• 3 min read

Manchester United have repeatedly been linked with a move for West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice, but for Liverpool legend Graeme Souness, Red Devils new boy Casemiro is a far superior player.

Casemiro has hit the ground running since his €80 million arrival from Real Madrid last summer, with his combination of steel and silk in the middle of the park helping propel Erik ten Hag's men up to third in the Premier League.

The Brazilian has completed 107 recoveries and won 111 duels in the Premier League, but, perhaps surprisingly, has also added four goals and five assists across all competitions.

READ: Man Utd's record with and without Casemiro

United continue to be linked with a move for Rice, however. One of the first names on Gareth Southgate's England teamsheet, the former Ireland international finds himself mired in a relegation dogfight with West Ham this season.

But Souness - a five-time English champion with Liverpool in the 1970s and 1980s - thinks United would be making a mistake if they made a move for the midfielder.

Souness: Casemiro the best around

"This role is a vital part of any team because in an ideal world, it's multi-dimensional," he wrote in his Daily Mail column. "You are creative, you chip in with goals and you've got a defensive head at all times.

READ: 'I've got a sneaky suspicion' - Rice backed to choose Man Utd over Arsenal

"Even when you're on the front foot, you are thinking: 'We are vulnerable if we lose possession.' If you've got all three of those attributes, you're worth your weight in gold. For me, Rice has just one of them."

"Rice brings this defensive aspect though for me, Casemiro at Manchester United is currently the best central midfielder around because he defends, chips in with goals and has the smart pass.

"Roy Keane and Manchester City's Fernandinho were the best I've seen in the Premier League of that type. I'm now seeing Casemiro operating at this level."