Journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed on the Talking Transfers podcast that West Ham United may well have to accept Declan Rice will be leaving them next season – unless they finish in the top six.
Rice’s future has long been a topic of conversation since he became a regular in the Hammers setup, and it looks set to reignite in the windows to come.
Manchester United and Rice’s former club, Chelsea, have reportedly held an interest in the past. The Blues’ interest doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon despite a new owner and manager at the club, and given West Ham’s tough start to the season with just two wins, the midfielder’s future could inevitably be away from east London.
Bailey believes that if the Hammers don’t finish inside the top six, they should almost accept Rice will be looking to leave.
He said: “We’ve seen that Man City, who did like him before, obviously they’ve gone with Kalvin Phillips instead to go alongside Rodri. Unfortunately for them, they’re both injured.
“Would we see Liverpool come in for him? I wouldn’t rule it out necessarily, but obviously, with the price tag, I think it just tees itself up for a Chelsea signing.
“We’ll have to see how West Ham do, but I think if West Ham can’t offer him that top six at the very least, I think they’ll have to accept that it’s time to move on.”
Will Rice leave West Ham next summer?
Yes!
No!
TIF Thoughts on Rice’s future…
While it will be a major blow for West Ham if they do indeed lose Rice in the near future, it’s something that many will know was on the cards ever since he started being linked with moves away and becoming an England regular.
It will be a huge task for the Hammers and David Moyes to replace him given he currently ranks top within the team for progressive yards carried with the ball, touches, progressive passes and tackles, showing that he really can do everything that makes West Ham tick.
Losing Rice would be a dark day for the Hammers, but the fee he will likely command would certainly soften the blow, with a £150m price tag being touted around over the summer – and a good World Cup would only likely increase interest and lead to more praise from pundits such as TalkSport’s Tony Cascarino, who has previously been labelled him as ‘superb’ (via Read West Ham).