MY ACCOUNT
West Ham are willing to sell Declan Rice this summer — but only for a monumental fee.
Hammers boss David Moyes believes the England star is worth more than the £100million Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish back in August — which was a record transfer fee for a British player.
Manchester United and Chelsea are reportedly interested in the 23-year-old, but will either part with that much cash to secure his services? And does Rice even need to leave West Ham to further his career?
As the Irons continue their push for the top four with a trip to Leicester this afternoon, we take a look at what the future holds for their midfield maestro.
Destined for big things
Speaking earlier this week, Moyes waxed lyrical about Rice — both as a player and a person.
He said: “He is a really important player for West Ham, he’s someone who we value greatly and you can see what he means to the team.
“He’s a really good individual and we’re enjoying having him.
“He should look at Harry Kane and Harry Maguire and all of those senior players he’s involved with for England, and take as much from them as he can, because in the future I’ve got no doubt he’s got a great chance of going on to be a future England captain.
“We’re really pleased to have him and he’s an impressive young man.”
Value for money?
Though Rice is a sensational talent, it is up for debate whether he is worth over £100million.
Parting with that much money for one player is always a risk and Grealish’s move to City represents a cautionary tale.
The 26-year-old is yet to provide a return on the Citizens’ significant investment after making a slow start to life at the Etihad Stadium.
Both Chelsea and Manchester United will need to be absolutely certain that Rice’s arrival can immediately take them to the next level before making such an eye-watering offer.
The best fit
Rice spent most of his youth career at Chelsea before ultimately coming through at West Ham but a return to Stamford Bridge may not be too realistic.
With Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic forming such a formidable midfield axis for Thomas Tuchel’s team, it is not a priority area for the Blues.
The 27-cap international could face greater competition for a spot in the side than he would at Old Trafford.
United seem more likely to make a move and could be a significantly better fit.
Ralf Rangnick sees Scott McTominay as a big part of the Red Devils’ future but Rice would represent an upgrade on Fred and is five years younger than the Brazilian.
Continental consideration
It can be easy to forget that Rice only turned 23 last month, such is his prominence for both club and country.
The Irons’ No41 will almost certainly leave West Ham sooner or later to take his development to the next level but it may not need to be just yet.
After all, Moyes has built something special at the London Stadium — and some even more memorable moments could be in store.
If the Hammers make history by qualifying for the Champions League for the very first time — either by winning the Europa League or, more pertinently, by beating United to fourth in the Premier League — would Rice be any better off at Old Trafford?
It is hard to see him swapping London for Manchester if the Red Devils do not have elite European football to offer.
England expects
Rice shone as England reached the Euro 2020 final last year.
Now Gareth Southgate’s men will hope to go one better and win the World Cup in Qatar this winter.
And barring injury or an unfathomable loss of form, the West Ham man will continue to be a key cog in the centre of the park for the Three Lions.
But there is a risk that the upheaval of moving to a club like Manchester United could have an impact on the midfielder’s form if he is asked to perform a significantly different role or used in an unfamiliar system.
Though nothing has fazed Rice so far in his career, the familiarity of life at the London Stadium may be best for England’s chances of success this December.
