Danny Murphy has claimed that it’s time for Declan Rice to move on from West Ham United.
Rice has been heavily linked with a move away from East London but promises between player and club partnered with a high asking price have seen the 23-year-old remain at the London Stadium.
Becoming a modern-day West Ham hero, Rice has clocked up 248 appearances across all competitions on his way to being named club captain after Mark Noble’s retirement.
Former England international Danny Murphy appeared as a guest on Rio Ferdinand’s Vibe with Five podcast, he spoke about his relationship with Rice and what he sees to be in store for the midfielder in the near future.
“I speak to Dec (Rice) a lot and his dad and he’s so ambitious. It’s not, ‘I’m desperate to leave’, but the reality is, I think last year, last summer when people spoke about him leaving, I think (David) Moyes spoke to him, West Ham spoke to him and said, ‘do another year’.
“I think they’ve said to him, ‘we’ll let you go this summer’. I think the reason’s he’s saying that in his press conference because West Ham, depending on if they get the right amount, they’ll want a decent chunk. But It’s time for him to go, he’s got to go,” Murphy said.
TIF Thoughts on Murphy’s comments…
There’s always been an air of inevitability every time Rice and the transfer window are mentioned, following the Irons’ poor start to this season with only 14 points from 15 games and Moyes’ job under scrutiny, the writing seems to be on the wall at the end of the season.
The tougher question will be what team, seemingly certain to remain in England such is his profile in the Premier League, there will only be a couple of teams who can offer the 37-time England international the football he wants and the fee the Irons’ will require.
Set to be main candidates in any move will likely be Chelsea and Liverpool with both sides in need of midfield re-enforcements, but with both currently sat outside the top four and Champions League qualification, this could be a wide-open race for his services.