West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice still does not want to put pen to paper on a new deal to extend his future at the London Stadium.
This has been suggested by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, who was speaking on the Que Golazo YouTube channel about the future of the midfielder.
It was reported a number of months ago that Rice had been offered a new deal by the Hammers believed to be worth £83m over a period of eight years.
There has also been reported interest in the past from the likes of Manchester United, but with West Ham reportedly wanting £150m for their star, Rice has remained in east London.
But with under two years now remaining on his deal with the Hammers, Romano believes the 23-year-old is standing firm in his stance over not signing a new deal.
He said: “What I was told at the end of the last season is that Declan Rice had no intention to sign a new deal with West Ham, and I’m told that this is still the case.
“So there is no agreement to extend the contract of Declan Rice, but it’s still a long contract for Rice. And this is why West Ham are really relaxed.”
TIF Thoughts on Romano’s comments…
It is definitely a concern that Rice is still not budging over his contract situation, however, it is not exactly surprising given the start to the campaign West Ham have made.
Should West Ham sell Rice next summer?
Yes
No
David Moyes’ men are slumped in the bottom three of the Premier League table and it is believed the likes of Chelsea have shown an interest in the midfielder.
So it does almost seem like a no-brainer that Rice would not commit his future to the Hammers when there is a possibility that he could leave to play Champions League football in the near future.
With this all in mind, it certainly leaves West Ham with a headache ahead of the next two transfer windows.