Manchester United will go ‘all out’ to sign West Ham hero Declan Rice in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Alex Crook.
The Lowdown: Rice worth massive money
The Hammers are enjoying another good season and Rice has been perhaps the reason for that, producing a string of outstanding performances in midfield.
The 23-year-old has not only started 24 of his side’s 25 Premier League matches but he has averaged a 90.8% pass completion rate and a whopping 2.3 tackles per game, proving his efficiency on both sides of the ball.
Rice’s form has unsurprisingly seen him linked with a big-money move away this summer, however, and another worrying update has emerged in that respect.
David Moyes has claimed Rice is worth more than £100m, so any potential move would no doubt be an absolutely massive deal.
The Latest: Journalist makes worrying claim
Speaking to Give Me Sport, talkSPORT’s Crook claimed that the Red Devils will do everything to snap up the England international, with the player himself ‘paving the way’ for his exit:
“I think they’re going to go all out to sign Declan Rice. And I think if you listen to Declan Rice in interviews, he’s almost paving the way for a departure.”
This comes after another journalist, Dean Jones, told the same outlet that people close to Rice have told him recently that he is likely to leave.
The Verdict: Potential monumental blow
Rice is performing at such a high level now – he has been hailed as ‘world-class by David Hunt and is arguably one of the world’s leading defensive midfielders on current form – that only Champions League football for West Ham may be enough to keep him.
He is clearly a player who has high ambitions and sees himself at the very highest level, so a move to somewhere like Old Trafford or boyhood club Chelsea cannot be ruled out.
If Rice stayed loyal and remained with the Hammers it would feel absolutely huge, but with each passing week, it is easy to envisage him plying his trade elsewhere next season, assuming the Irons do not pip the ‘big six’ sides to a top four place.
In other news, West Ham are reportedly set for contract talks with one player. Find out who it is here.