Arsenal have signed West Ham United star Declan Rice. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has urged England international Declan Rice to leave West Ham United for a Champions League club amid interest from Chelsea.
Rice is currently in Qatar for the World Cup and has been an integral part of Gareth Southgate’s team so far. The 23-year-old’s performance for the past couple of seasons has earned him some admirers with the Blues among them.
A former Cobham youth player, the midfielder recently hinted that he would like to play Champions League football sparking speculations that the player could be open to joining a top team soon.
Now, former Arsenal midfielder Petit while speaking on Midnite (h/t Metro), has urged the Hammers midfielder to follow his dream.
“Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham are among the best [midfield duo] in the world for sure. You could also talk about Rice’s future too. I’m sorry West Ham fans, but Declan Rice needs to leave. If he wants to improve he needs to be playing in the Champions League.”
The midfielder is a very crucial player for David Moyes’ side and as such has been valued at around £100 million. But he sees his current contract expire in 2024 and it will be very surprising should the 23-year-old put pen to paper a new deal at the London stadium.
Chelsea meanwhile have the problem of an ageing midfield. Two crucial players Jorginho and N’Golo Kante are in their 30s and beyond their prime. Other midfielders like Mateo Kovacic has struggled to stay fit throughout the season, while Conor Gallagher is still not there yet to be considered a regular.
Young and exciting midfielders are needed as the club heads towards a new era. Also, the defensive midfielder was already part of the Blue’s youth set-up and that could give the west London club an advantage over other interested parties.
With less than 18 months remaining in his contract, the Hammers will know that now is the best time to get a good deal for the midfielder. It remains to be seen if they will entertain any offers for their star player in January.
We can’t expect them to let him leave on a cut-price deal if they do come to the negotiation table. On the contrary, it could be a sizable investment – one that Chelsea fans would desperately want their club to be ready to make.
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