This article forms part of our Valuation Evaluation feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at the increase or decrease of a player’s Transfermarkt valuation and whether it is justified or not.
Declan Rice has come a long way since being released by Chelsea as a 14-year-old.
He is now arguably West Ham’s most important player and has a very large transfer valuation on his head. According to Transfermarkt, the English midfielder is worth £49.5m after being valued at only £18m back in 2018.
It is unsurprising that his stock has increased so dramatically over the last couple of years, though. He is now easily one of the leading holding midfielders in the country.
Last season, Rice finished in the top 10 for tackles made per game in the Premier League, averaging just under three (via WhoScored). Meanwhile, this campaign, he is again in the top 10 for that statistic, averaging around the same amount.
So good at the base, former manager Manuel Pellegrini even dubbed him as a “complete” player and “the best” holding midfielder at England’s disposal.
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“He’s a complete player,” Pellegrini was quoted as saying about the England international by The Guardian last March. “That is a player who, for me, is the best English holding midfielder. The other important thing is he is trying to learn every day.”
Currently caught up in a relegation battle, should West Ham find themselves in the Championship next season, it will be interesting to see if they actually manage to get £50m for Rice. But whatever the case, given his age, ability and homegrown status, it is a fair figure to demand.
West Ham fans, how much do you think Rice is worth in today’s market? Let us know in the comment section below!
