It seems like the future of Declan Rice is yet again going to be one of the most discussed topics surrounding West Ham this season.
The 20-year-old midfielder has already been the subject of whispers of a move to Manchester United for £90m according to Football Insider whereas the player himself has admitted that he can see himself playing at West Ham for some time when speaking to The Evening Standard.
And now, BBC Sport pundit Danny Mills has thrown his hat into the ring in an interview with Football Insider, suggesting that if Rice is to continue his development as a player, he should move on to a bigger club.
The former England defender said: “He’s a very, very good player with a very bright future. (Can he be a Premier League winner?) If he moves from the club. Let’s be honest, he’s not going to win the Premier League at West Ham any time soon.
“If he wants to go and win something, he’s got to move clubs. Whether that be abroad or the likes of Manchester City, Liverpool – they’re the ones obviously at the moment – maybe a Chelsea comes strong at some point. Just have to wait and see.”
Whilst there’s no doubt that Rice’s motivation in his career is to win trophies, the basis for the vast majority of players in the game, making the move now to a bigger club would seem like a waste for the young England international.
Although we have seen big clubs spend vast sums of money in recent years on young talent, with Manchester United spending a reported £50m this summer on 21-year-old right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka according to BBC Sport, there is no guarantee wherever Rice moves that he will be a first-team starter.
Indeed, a move to the likes of Man United or Manchester City could see the 20-year-old start on the bench for most games, with little opportunity to impress in the first-team. Hence why remaining at West Ham for the next few seasons seems to make the most logical sense for Rice.
The anchorman is an established first-team player under Manuel Pellegrini, and although there might be some truth in Mills’ words that the Hammers won’t win any silverware in the next few years, that should not be Rice’s main priority at this stage in his career.
Rice has the potential to become one of the top midfielders in England, yet a premature move to one of the country’s biggest clubs could severely hinder his first-team minutes when he is not fully ready to compete with the best of the best, meaning that another season or two at West Ham is the ideal solution for the youngster.
