When assessing young talent, it can be so hard to see which players are going to flourish into world stars and which are merely more than just flashes in the pan who are set to fizzle out. However, it seems to be common knowledge that West Ham’s Declan Rice is more than the real deal.
The young England midfield man is a top talent and has proven on more than a few occasions just what he’s capable of from the base of midfield, both setting the tempo with an impressive passing range and ability to read the game and acting as a destroyer, winning the ball back effectively and screening his defence.
As a result of Rice clearly being one of the best players in the Premier League at the niche role he plays, he’s drummed up some attention in himself and it came as no shock to anyone when a big side came calling, as Sky Sports reported yesterday that Chelsea were after the Hammers’ academy man.
However, there are some key factors when looking into this one, as Rice will not come cheap and it’s imperative that the Irons get what Rice is worth if they are to allow their key midfield anchor to up sticks and make the move from the London Stadium to Stamford Bridge.
To start with, Rice has got a £49.5m valuation from Transfermarkt, but given that he’s just 21-years-old, has seven caps for the England national team and has already racked up 90 Premier League appearances, it would be criminal to let him leave for anywhere near £50m.
Then you have to factor in that Rice is a homegrown England talent. He won’t come cheap, and he clearly has an affinity to West Ham that means he’ll cost a fair bit to prise from the Stratford club, especially for someone who plays such a crucial role at the base of David Moyes’ midfield.
It’s also important to point that Chelsea have tried, and failed, to recruit an able ball winner in the past. Tiemoue Bakayoko was a famous flop at Stamford Bridge, and if Frank Lampard wants to bring in a top ball-winning midfielder, going right to the top and getting one of the best around with Premier League experience will land you at Rice.
Will we keep Declan Rice leave over the summer?
Yes
No
However, given all of what we’ve laid out, and the fact that the West Ham midfielder signed a contract keeping him at the club until 2024 back in December 2018 (whufc.com), thing aren’t looking good for any club who wants him, and the fee could be astronomical.
With so few Premier League-experienced players able to play Rice’s role to the same level as the Hammer, and considering his age and his contract situation, the Irons should be holding out for a world-record fee for an Englishman, and if Rice is allowed to go for anywhere less than £80m, then the fans need to be asking questions of their club.
