In a recent interview (via Manchester Evening News), West Ham United manager David Moyes provided an update on Declan Rice’s future and said, “Declan is carrying a lot of the team at the moment and he’s the one who will carry on from Mark Noble when it comes to an end for him.
“Quite often when building a club, you have to sell. I hope it’s’s not the case with Declan, but I said the same with Wayne Rooney and Joleon Lescott [at Everton].
“But the team got better because we were able to sign the right players to replace them. If that ever came around [Rice leaving], I’d’ hope we’d be able to do the same here as well.”
Rice’s Recent Struggles At The London Stadium
Manchester Evening News goes on to state that Manchester United were tracking the England international before last summer’s window. However, it remains to be seen whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will reignite his interest in the Hammers star this summer. Rice is under contract at the London Stadium until the summer of 2024, so West Ham will be under no pressure to sell their prized asset. At the same time, Moyes can also opt to sell him to the highest bidder at the end of this campaign if he wants to generate some money to strengthen other areas of his squad.
The 21-year-old has endured a difficult season with the Hammers as he has failed to help his team steer clear of the dreaded drop zone this term. West Ham United are currently languishing in 18th place and are in danger of being dragged into a relegation dogfight later this year.
Rice will have to be at his best if he wants to help his team get out of trouble by picking up a few victories over the coming weeks. He has still not opened his goal-scoring account for this campaign after featuring in 26 league matches so far. He has only one assist to show for his efforts. On the other end, he has averaged 3.1 tackles, 2.0 interceptions, 1.2 clearances and 1.4 dribbles per game in the Premier League (stats via whoscored).
Should West Ham United Let Declan Rice Go Next Summer?
Rice brings a lot of energy and dynamism to the Hammers midfield which has helped him seal a permanent starting berth at the London Stadium. He loves to interchange passes with others around him and can be a dominant presence in midfield as he tends to win most of his physical duels.
Manchester United manager Solskjaer can significantly benefit from acquiring someone like Declan Rice as he has all the right attributes to become a future star at Old Trafford. Rice has shown in the past that he can be a top performer in the Premier League so Moyes should strongly consider keeping him at the London Stadium beyond this summer.
