Chelsea have been linked with a move for West Ham United and England midfielder, Declan Rice. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
According to The Sun, West Ham United are still not ready to sell Chelsea target Declan Rice despite his recent rejection of a contract extension. That has alerted Thomas Tuchel’s side, who are eager to finalise a move for the holding midfielder in the future.
Earlier, The Athletic (Subscription Required) had stated that West Ham have accepted within their camp that they will need to part ways with Rice after the next season. This news was following the latest rejection from the midfielder over a renewal with his current contract expiring in 2024. They have been trying desperately to renew the England international over the past few months but to no avail.
The latest rejection was the third refusal from the defensive midfielder, which could indicate his plans moving forward. It was stated that the Hammers are looking for at least £150million in transfer fees at the end of next term as they have the option to extend his current deal by another year. However, The Sun now claims that they do not intend to sell their prized asset, as The Athletic had mentioned.
If this latest piece of information is believed to be true, we have been dealt with some concerns regarding our transfer plans for the future. After all, the midfield is an area that we must bolster in advance to prevent what is currently happening with our defence.
N’Golo Kante and Jorginho do not have many years left in their playing careers, and they have not performed to their best in recent times either. Replacing them would be difficult as we would need quality replacements like Rice, for example, to safeguard our future interests.
As such, this news would be concerning, to say the least, if David Moyes’ side does not intend to move out their star man. It is good to know that Rice has rejected three renewal attempts as it could potentially hint towards an exit moving forward.
However, Rice’s contract, coupled with the option of a one-year extension, does not help us in any case. Moreover, the massive asking price is another factor that seriously diminishes the prospect of targeting him in the future. After all, it would be much better to use that sum reasonably by looking at other targets.
Being one of the best holding midfielders, Rice is arguably one of the perfect options that Tuchel could have in his squad. What’s more, the versatility that the Hammers superstar has shown by playing as a centre-back and an advanced midfielder, adding to the list of reasons why we should target him.
It will be interesting to see what stance the West London side takes after weighing up the pros and cons of a potential move. We must remain reasonable as managing our budget to bolster the entire squad should be given the utmost priority.
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