Declan Rice playing for West Ham
West Ham are planning on signing two players to replace the potentially outgoing Declan Rice this summer, transfer expert Dean Jones has claimed.
The Lowdown: Rice leaving this summer?
The midfielder has become a colossal figure for the Hammers in recent years, dominating midfield battles and averaging 2.3 tackles per game in the Premier League this season.
There is an increasing feeling that Rice could be set for a new challenge at the end of the season, however, with some of the country’s biggest clubs reportedly eyeing him up and the player admitting he fancies Champions League football.
West Ham would likely receive huge money for the 24-year-old’s services and they would need to spend it wisely on finding a tailor-made replacement for him.
The Latest: Two midfielders wanted
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that the Hammers could want to sign two midfielders to fill the void left by Rice, rather than just Manchester United’s Scott McTominay, who has been linked recently:
“I don’t think they see McTominay as a Rice replacement because, from what I’m told, they think they’re going to need two players to replace Declan Rice. That’s part of the work that’s being done behind the scenes.”
The Verdict: Huge boots to fill
Rice could be a monumental loss for West Ham, with the England international maturing into a genuine world-class player for club and country, hailed as ‘superb’ by midfield great Steven Gerrard.
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It is hard to begrudge him a massive move elsewhere, however, with the £60,000-a-week hero someone who deserves to be playing Champions League football and battling for major honours.
In terms of Rice’s replacement, McTominay could certainly be a strong option, having fallen out of favour at United but still averaging three tackles per match in the EFL Cup this season, possessing similar levels of physicality and drive.
The Scot won’t plug the void on his own, however, as Jones alludes to, and the vast money likely to be received for Rice needs to be spent on an extra top-quality option, too, such as the Hammers-linked Moises Caicedo.
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