Liverpool are 'interested' in completing the signing of West Ham and England star Declan Rice, according to an update from journalist Rudy Galetti.

The Lowdown: Rice on the move this summer?

The 24-year-old has already matured into one of the Three Lions' most important players, starting five matches at the 2022 World Cup and averaging a 91.2% pass completion rate over in Qatar.

Rice has remained loyal to West Ham until this point, avoiding a big-money move elsewhere, but it looks highly likely that he will leave in the summer transfer window as his contracts ticks towards its final 12 months.

The midfielder's current Hammers contract expires at the end of next season, meaning he would be allowed to leave on a free transfer at that point if the Hammers do not trigger the one-year club option in his deal.

The Latest: LFC 'interested' in signing

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Galetti said that Liverpool are one of the clubs keen on snapping up Rice this summer:

"It’s an open race. It’s an evolving situation because also Chelsea and Liverpool are interested in him. We have to wait a few more weeks to better understand the future of Declan Rice."

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The Verdict: Bellingham a better option

Rice is an outstanding footballer who has been hailed as the 'best' in the world in the defensive midfield position by John Terry, and he certainly would add the legs that Liverpool's midfield has been so sorely lacking this season.

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The Englishman has averaged 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, whereas the struggling duo of Fabinho (1.8) and Jordan Henderson (0.8) have lesser tallies, with the Brazilian's status as the Reds' go-to number six surely in doubt if this deal goes through.

However, while Rice would clearly be a strong signing by Liverpool, he would also cost an eye-watering amount - supposedly around £70m - and it is hard to see the Reds being able to afford both him and Jude Bellingham.

The Borussia Dortmund superstar has to be their first-choice option, given his status as a generational talent, and for that reason, they should avoid a move for Rice, unless their financial situation suddenly changes.