West Ham United insider @ExWHUemployee has been sharing some details surrounding Hammers midfielder Declan Rice, his current situation at the east London club and what the future could look like for him.
This comes after Ex co-hosted a recent edition of The West Ham Way Podcast where he discussed a number of subjects concerning David Moyes’ side.
On the subject of Rice, who reportedly rejected a new contract with the Hammers earlier in the summer, Ex had this to say about his situation and the future.
He said: “I don’t want to talk about contract rejections and all this stuff, because it seems that that’s a bit of a negative at the moment, and the bottom line is, even if he’s rejecting contracts, we’ve still potentially got him for another four years until he goes on a free.
“And if he does keep rejecting contracts – if he has been doing that – they may need to make a decision, maybe a year or two down the line as to whether they want to sell him for money.
“But at the moment, unless he strikes or forces a move, which he wouldn’t do, we’ve got him for at least a year or so.”
TIF Thoughts on Ex’s comments on Rice and his situation at West Ham…
Taking into account what Ex had to say, it seems as though Rice’s short-term future at the club isn’t in danger at the moment considering his current contract at the club isn’t set to expire until 2024.
Do you think Rice will sign a new contract at West Ham?
Yes
No
However, we feel that should Rice ever express his wish to leave the club before his contract runs out, then the best option for the club would be to potentially sell him for a fee they feel is suitable for him rather than let him leave as a free agent as this could potentially allow them to sign a replacement or strengthen their squad elsewhere – although they may not have to make that decision for a while.
Given how only three outfield West Ham players played more minutes than Rice in the Premier League last season, it’s safe to say that they see the midfielder as a crucial member of their team and it would therefore take a substantial transfer fee from another club to persuade the Hammers into selling him.