According to a recent report from The Daily Mail, Declan Rice could be set for a move away in the near future. The 19-year-old currently plays his football at Premier League outfit West Ham having come up through the youth ranks at the East London club, appearing 26 times in the top-flight for the Hammers last term in their run to 13th place in the division.

Yet the versatile youngster has yet to agree a new deal with Manuel Pellegrini’s side, and with his current contract up at the end of the season, alongside reports suggesting that the two parties are no nearer an agreement, Everton manager Marco Silva must be on red alert to the situation, having watched Rice dominate and torment his Toffees side little over a week ago.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, 19-year-old Rice has enjoyed quite the rise in recent times following his senior debut for West Ham back on the final day of the 2016/17 season, with the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international going on to feature regularly under David Moyes last term.

And while Pellegrini substituted him at half time in their 4-0 defeat to Liverpool on the opening day of this season, and then proceeded not to use him in their succeeding three matches, the Chilean brought him back into the starting line-up for the trip to Everton on September 16, where the 19-year-old produced an outstanding display.

Rice, alongside fellow central midfielders Mark Noble and Pedro Obiang, dominated the middle of the park to enable the front men of Marko Arnautovic, Felipe Anderson, and Andriy Yarmolenko to get at the Toffees backline, ultimately earning the Hammers a 3-1 victory at Goodison Park.

And Rice’s endeavours in breaking up play and continuously picking out a pass for his teammates proved hugely problematic for his opposite number Idrissa Gueye and indeed Silva’s side on a whole - it was very dominant and tormenting performance from one of West Ham’s brightest stars.

Yet with his future at the London Stadium seemingly uncertain, alongside watching him give his team the runaround little over a week ago, Silva simply has to be on red alert regarding Rice’s situation, as his own central midfield department could do with strengthening.

Gueye appears to be the number one midfielder at the club but he hasn’t always convinced in the early stages of this season, while Silva has tried the likes of Morgan Schneiderlin and Tom Davies alongside the Senegal international, with varying degrees of success.

Thus, it appears that the Toffees are in need of someone who can dominate the game, both off the ball in making key tackles and anticipating play as well as on it in moving the ball from defence to attack and launching offensives, in the middle of the park - Rice could be that man.

And at the tender age of 19, and with Silva willing to give young players a chance in the first team, the versatile starlet would likely get even better under the Portuguese’s guidance, and thus become the main man in that Everton midfield for many years to come.

As such, with Rice’s contract situation far from certain, and thus possibly opening the door for his West Ham exit, Silva must be ready to lure the man who tormented his team little over a week ago to Goodison Park.

Everton fans… what do you think? Let us know!