Crystal Palace are preparing to make an offer for West Ham United centre-back Declan Rice this summer. According to recent reports, the Eagles are interested in securing the signature of the Hammers’ youngster as they look to strengthen their team ahead of the new campaign.
Rice can be considered as one of the best young prospects in English football and at the tender age of 19, he has already earned 3 international caps for the Republic of Ireland national team so far. The Irish starlet was a Chelsea youth product before he joined the youth ranks of West Ham in the summer of 2015.
The recent arrival of Issa Diop will likely push Rice lower down the pecking order under new manager Manuel Pellegrini at the London Stadium. Some sources are now claiming that the Premier League defender won’t be guaranteed regular first-team football under Pellegrini which could see him make a switch out of East London.
Rice had featured in 31 matches for the Hammers last season in all competitions and at the mere age of 19, he has a lot of time to develop and take his game to a high level. However, Roy Hodgson’s side are not the only ones looking to recruit the Irish starlet with Bournemouth also monitoring his situation at East London.
The Hammers had a mediocre campaign last season when they managed to clinch a 13th placed finish in the English top tier. However, Pellegrini is in need to recruit wisely this summer so that his West Ham side can push on and secure a top-half finish in the upcoming season. The Argentine manager can use the money generated from the sale of Rice to strengthen other areas of his squad.
The potential acquisition of Rice will undoubtedly bolster Hodgson’s defensive options at Selhurst Park. Palace have defensive talents such as Mamadou Sakho, Damien Delaney, James Tomkins and Scott Dann vying for a starting berth in Hodgson’s first-team. The addition of Rice will improve their team significantly and add more competition for places within the Eagles squad.
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He is exactly the type of young talent who can flourish under the guidance of Hodgson, especially if he can secure first-team football on a regular basis. The Irish defender has incredible potential which the London outfit could look to utilise in the coming years. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Rice and whether he ends up sealing a switch to Selhurst Park before the start of next season.
