Rice not good enough on the ball

Same reason I don't want him at Utd.

It's the reason why Sputhgate doesn't trust him on his own as a sitting midfielder

One thing you all seem to be forgetting about is that he is 22 years old, same as Mount and is he the finished article?
I would take Rice in a heartbeat, he is a very good player now and will get better and better, if coached correctly.
He will slot seamless into our midfield and in my opinion will become world class in a short space of time.
No brainer for me, you are buying potential same as Havertz and that's not working out too badly

Think we're gunna end up with Weigl deep in the window. It'll be the position we'll get too cute with via better targets knowing Tuchel rates him & he's available (supposedly) for less than 30mil.

Where that position goes you ideally want someone more dynamic than Jorginho to be a proper alternative, Rice isn't really that guy. His value would be versatility dropping into CB but then you run the risk of him becoming another Dier (caught between two positions & doesn't develop in either). He's also WAY too expensive.

I'd take Phillips. More of a Kovacic admittedly, but I really like him. Bielsa's done some serious magic there

Wouldn't want either of the two English DMs, both ridiculously priced.

We can similar alternatives elsewhere for half the price.

Prioritise the big money move for Haaland

I think Rice will grow in to any role he’s tasked with and step up to his environment given the correct nurturing conditions.

If you’ve ever seen clips of him training it’s clear to see how talented with a ball he is, much like watching Havertz only gives me confidence. I think both players will translate this to the pitch consistently with a little patience.