Declan Rice celebrates vs Spurs
West Ham United star Declan Rice could be set to stay at the club for the foreseeable future, according to journalist Dharmesh Sheth.
The Lowdown: Rice’s links away
Given the level of Rice’s performances for West Ham, weighing in as the club’s best Premier League performer this term with an average SofaScore rating of 7.27, there have been continued links with moves away from the London Stadium.
According to the Telegraph, Chelsea plan to hold talks with their former youth player, while Liverpool monitored him at the World Cup, as per Football Insider sources.
However, a transfer switch may not be in the offing any time soon, amid new claims from Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth…
The Latest: Sheth’s comments
Sheth indicates that West Ham currently hold all the cards in the transfer saga, as they have the option to either extend the Englishman’s contract or charge any amount they desire.
In an interview with GIVEMESPORT, the journalist said:
“I just think there’s no pressure as such for West Ham United to sell. I think he’s got a contract that runs until 2024 with a club option of a further year, so we can still say he’s got a contract at West Ham United until 2025.
“So West Ham can put whatever price they want on him.”
The Verdict: Ideal situation
If Rice continues his current trajectory, he is set to become one of the world’s best midfielders, with a 90.2% pass completion rate over the past year already placing him in the 95th percentile of players in his position across Europe.
Despite England bowing out of the World Cup in a 2-1 defeat to France, the West Ham man put in an ‘incredible‘ display according to football writer Sam Farley, highlighting his quality to perform against, and alongside, some of the world’s best players.
While it does not appear likely that the maestro will commit to an extended stay at the London Stadium, David Moyes is in a strong position, where he can either choose to cash in on his prized asset, for what would be an extraordinary fee, or keep him at the club for another two-and-a-half years.
This is the ideal situation for the manager, as he can either strengthen the squad considerably with the funds raised from the deal, or continue to benefit from Rice’s remarkable abilities next season and beyond.
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