West Ham United captain Declan Rice does not intend to sign a contract extension with the club, according to Football Insider.

The Lowdown: Rice’s contract

The 23-year-old is currently under contract with the Hammers until the summer of 2024, but the club have the option of extending this by a further 12 months.

Having been at the centre of heavy transfer speculation throughout the summer, it seemed clear that the midfielder was leaning towards a move away from Rush Green in favour of Champions League football.

Amid the Irons’ reluctance to let their star player leave, they have offered him numerous contract extensions in a bid to keep him at the club. According to reports, the latest offer came to a 'jawdropping' £200,000 per week, which he swiftly rejected.

The Latest: No intention

According to a report by Football Insider, Rice has no intention of signing an extension with West Ham.

With the England international’s contract slowly ticking towards its expiry, it seems likely that the Hammers will reluctantly enter negotiations with Champions League clubs at the end of the season.

Whilst David Moyes previously claimed that it would take a minimum of £150m to lure Rice from east London, this figure could be unattainable with the midfielder entering the final 18 months of his deal at the London Stadium.

Consequently, the Irons are said to be drawing up a shortlist of potential replacements for next summer.

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The Verdict: Huge potential loss

At just 23 years of age, Rice has already amassed an impressive 209 appearances in a claret and blue shirt. Having become a staple of Moyes’ midfield, his importance to the club is unparalleled, and when looking at his underlying figures, it is easy to see why.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year, the Irons skipper ranks in the 95th percentile for interceptions, the 93rd percentile for pass completion and the 88th percentile for progressive carries.

Having also been hailed by England manager Gareth Southgate for his ‘outstanding’ ability to recover the ball in the middle of the park, Rice has the complete package as a midfielder.

Therefore, his eventual departure from West Ham will be a day that Hammers fans must be dreading.