Former Arsenal player and current tactics analyst Adrian Clarke recently commented on the future of West Ham United defensive midfielder, Declan Rice, and whether the 21-year-old should leave the club this summer, amid interest from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea.
Since making his West Ham debut as an 18-year-old back in May 2017, Rice has subsequently gone on to make 100 appearances for the club, scoring two goals and providing three assists, as well as establishing himself as an integral part of the West Ham first-team.
His level of performances have been growing year on year, from averaging 1.4 tackles and 1.0 interception per game over his 26 Premier League appearances in the 2017/18 season, to three tackles and 2.1 interceptions over his 29 appearances in the league so far this term.
In these metrics, Rice currently ranks eighth for tackles and ninth for interceptions per game out of the entirety of players in the Premier League, demonstrating his importance to the West Ham side.
As a result of his impressive statistics, interest has been high in the England international, with both Chelsea and Manchester United reported to be interested in the midfielder, and, speaking on the most recent episode of the Football Writers Podcast, Clarke has suggested that this summer may be the time for Rice to leave East London.
He said: “Statistically, he’s one of the two or three most effective defensive-midfield players in the Premier League. And so, it’s undeniable how influential he is. He’s a quality footballer, it must be frustrating for him, because the team around him as has had a really laboured campaign.
“No matter whether they stay up or not, I think the time probably is right for Declan to leave. I think he’s signed a long-term contract, hasn’t he? So they’ll get top dollar for him if the bids come in. But I think for his career, he probably needs to play in a better team, I genuinely feel that.”
TIF Thoughts…
With West Ham still by no means being certain of securing Premier League survival this season – they are currently level on 27 points with 18th-placed Bournemouth – it would appear from his impressive stats that Rice is indeed outperforming the rest of his team, something which could indicate that he is too good for this current West Ham side, and ready for a move to a side higher up the table.
Will Declan Rice still be a West Ham player at the beginning of next season?
Yes, anything is possible
No, he'll be leaving us
However, whether or not Rice does indeed leave West Ham this summer remains to be seen, as the Hammers would likely demand a substantial fee for the £44.55m-rated midfielder, and after the financial implications of the pandemic have taken their toll on football clubs, it is uncertain whether Premier League clubs will be spending big over the next transfer window.