Roy Keane warned Man Utd against signing a flop and recommended two world-class stars instead.
Roy Keane called for Manchester United to sign two key players in the summer of 2023 – but where are they now?
Keane shared his thoughts at the end of the 2022/23 season, when Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City won their third Premier League title in a row and made history with a treble. Meanwhile, United had a decent first year under Erik ten Hag, finishing third in the league and reaching the FA Cup final, where they lost to City.
Before the season started, United signed Antony and Lisandro Martínez from Ajax, and Casemiro from Real Madrid. They also brought in Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen. Even though United made it to the Champions League, they were linked with Chelsea’s Mason Mount, Spurs’ Harry Kane, and West Ham’s Declan Rice.
Speaking to Sky Sports back then, Keane said, “They need a world-class striker, but that’s tough because City have a brilliant manager. I’m not so sure about Mount. Many players will be linked, but the one who would really excite fans is Kane.”
When Sky’s Micah Richards challenged Keane about Mount, he added, “Mount’s form has dipped a bit. He’s had some injuries and hasn’t been doing well in a struggling Chelsea team. I don’t think he would hugely improve United. Rice would be a good signing, but for excitement and goals, they need Kane. But Spurs selling to United? Very unlikely.”
Now, over three years later, Keane’s words have proven true. Mount has struggled to find consistent form at United after his £55 million move from Chelsea, scoring just eight goals and two assists in 80 appearances, and hasn’t played for England since joining.
United’s league finishes have also been mixed during Mount’s time: 8th in 2023/24, 15th in 2024/25, and third in 2025/26, though he played only 23 league games last season.
On the other hand, Rice and Kane have both been on a strong upward path since May 2023. Rice won the Europa Conference League with West Ham in 2022/23, then moved to Arsenal for £105 million that summer. He’s become a key player for Arsenal, helping them win the 2025/26 Premier League and reach the Champions League final. For England, Rice has been a regular starter, playing a big part as the team reached two Euros finals (2021 and 2024) and the World Cup quarter-finals in 2022, then finishing third in 2026.
Similarly, Kane’s choice not to join United was right for him. He left Spurs for Bayern Munich in 2023. Although he missed out on trophies in his first season while Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga, Kane scored an amazing 36 goals in 32 games. Since then, he’s helped Bayern win back-to-back Bundesliga titles and the 2025/26 DFB-Pokal. Kane also won the 2026 Ballon d’Or, beating stars like Kylian Mbappé, and was named the best active footballer in the world.
Rice has also collected many individual awards, including Arsenal’s Player of the Season for 2024/25 and 2025/26, the club’s Goal of the Season in 2024/25, and the Football Supporters’ Association Men’s Player of the Year in 2024. He was named Premier League Player of the Year at the 2024 London Football Awards and made the Premier League Team of the Year for three seasons straight, as well as the Champions League Team of the Season twice.
So, Keane got it right back in 2023 – Rice and Kane are now worth a combined £150 million, according to Transfermarkt.
After Arsenal’s recent 1-0 win over Liverpool, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher called Rice the best midfielder in the Premier League by a big margin. Rice even set up the winning goal.
Carragher said, “He’s one of the best midfielders Arsenal has ever had. They’ve had some great players, but he’s right up there. He’s the best midfield player in the Premier League by far. It’s not even close.”
What do you think – is Jamie Carragher right that Rice is the best midfielder in the Premier League?