In a recent tweet, Football.London correspondent Tom Clark provided an update on the future of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice. It is believed that the English midfield ace is currently happy with his life at the London Stadium with the Hammers not open to entertaining offers for his services.
No that wasn't taken from an article of mine
But what I have been told is he is happy, not for sale & West Ham confirmed to me they've never received an offer for him & aren't open to one
£100m is value WH have put on him David Moyes actually said he's worth more than £100m
— Tom Clark (@_thomasjclark) September 13, 2021
Rice’s Impressive Rise To Prominence At The London Stadium
Rice has proven himself to be a consistent performer at the top level and is currently one of the first names in David Moyes’ teamsheet. The England international was involved in 35 matches for the Hammers in the previous campaign, netting two goals and earning one assist in the process across multiple competitions.
The 22-year-old was an influential presence at the centre of the Hammers midfield as he averaged 1.8 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.1 clearances, 0.8 shots, 0.7 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season. The London-born midfield enforcer even distributed the ball with accuracy based on his pass completion rate of 88% in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
Rice’s current deal with the Hammers expires in the summer of 2024, so it makes sense for West Ham to keep him at the club for at least the duration of his contract. However, Moyes could find it difficult to retain his services if a top club end up making a big-money offer for him next summer.
Should The Hammers Keep Hold Of Rice?
Rice is a tough-tackling midfielder who can work tirelessly towards securing possession back for his side at the centre of the park. He can sense the danger quickly and doesn’t mind covering a lot of ground inside his half.
The English sensation can protect his backline well and is not shy of clearing his lines when in danger of being exposed at the back. He is also not afraid to put his body on the line to block a goal-bound shot from the opposition.
Thus, it is only logical for West Ham to keep hold of Rice for the long run. He has formed a solid midfield partnership with Tomas Soucek in midfield as the pair helped the Hammers secure a place in this year’s UEFA Europa League.
At 22, the future is quite bright for the Three Lions star as he has what it takes to ensure the East London outfit’s spot in the Premier League’s top-six over the next few years. Plus, he could even help bring some success back to the London Stadium if Moyes continues to build a strong team around him in the coming seasons.
