In a major development, Claret and Hugh are reporting that Declan Rice has committed his immediate future to West Ham United despite heavy interest from top Premier League sides.
Clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea have been heavily linked with the midfielder but as per the report, Rice and his father are ready to prioritise the Hammers for the next 12 months but like always, there is a catch.
“A top club insider has told ClaretandHugh that, despite there being links with other clubs, Declan is focused on life at West Ham for the next 12 months minimum,” Claret and Hugh are claiming.
“However, there is an acceptance, after on going talks, that Declan is desperate to win things and that if he can’t do that with us he will be looking to do so perhaps as early as next summer elsewhere.”
Will West Ham United be able to hold onto Declan Rice?
The sole reason the midfielder decided to stay at West Ham this season was that the Hammers are playing in the Europa League and if the club can secure a move up to the UCL then Declan Rice isn’t going anywhere, any time soon.
A top-four finish looks out of sight for the London side but they have a great opportunity at winning the Europa League and thereby moving up the ladder in Europe next season.
A player like Rice wants to play in the top tier of European football and he won’t mind doing that with the club he’s been with since the U18s.
memorable night. pic.twitter.com/ZtZcEWQj5b
— Declan Rice (@_DeclanRice) April 15, 2022
Should Chelsea and Man United steer clear?
The talks and promises between both parties are just a ceremonial gesture so the interested clubs will undoubtedly come calling in the summer.
United and Chelsea both need a midfield upgrade and someone like Declan Rice can be the solution to many of their problems.
But the one major problem in signing the England international will be that the Hammers want around £120-130 for the midfielder, and rightly so.
Man United will need a major overhaul in the summer so they will be reluctant to spend so much money on a single player. Also, Chelsea are going to have new owners who will most certainly not be as generous as their previous boss.
All in all, we can see this going in two directions, either West Ham United will have to lower their demands or both Chelsea and Manchester United will shift their focus to someone like Ruben Neves or Youri Tielemans.
