Danny Murphy, a former Liverpool midfielder, has urged Declan Rice to leave West Ham United for the sake of his career. The 24-year-old England midfielder is set to be an ‘automatic starter’ for Premier League leaders Arsenal, according to Murphy. Rice has just one year left on his contract in east London and the Hammers may reluctantly have to part ways with him to avoid losing him on a free transfer. It is believed that the England international is keen on a summer switch to Arsenal, while Manchester United and Chelsea are also in the running.
Murphy commented on the saga in his column for the Daily Mail, stating that Rice has to leave West Ham. He added that ideally he would have gone last summer because it’s been hard for him to maintain his best form in a team that doesn’t keep the ball or boss games as well as others. Murphy believes that Rice is 100% ready to move to the next level and at 24 won’t want to wait any longer for Champions League football. Arsenal would be a great option and he thinks he’d be an automatic starter. The lure of Chelsea is also strong, having grown up supporting the club and playing in their academy.
Former West Ham, United and Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham has echoed Murphy’s view, insisting that Rice would instantly improve Arsenal. He told talkSPORT that when you’re talking about top players, you put them up against other top players. The complete midfield player would be able to defend, tackle, run forward, but score goals as well. If you add a couple of goals to Declan’s game, not a couple but six or seven, with what he’s got at the moment, you’re taking about an absolute world beater of a player. He can go anywhere, wherever he goes he’s going to make that team a better team. Maybe Casemiro is in that role at Manchester United so perhaps they don’t need him, but he would definitely make Arsenal a better team. He could walk into any team.
Rice is tied down at West Ham until 2024 and talkSPORT understands he may cost a whopping £120 million, with boss David Moyes saying last month he will only leave for a British record fee. Manchester United had a £100m bid rejected for his services last year. Chelsea, who released Rice when he was 14, are also in the mix as they look to bring in a long-term successor to N’Golo Kante.
In conclusion, Rice is set to be one of the most in-demand players this summer, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea all keen on securing his services. Murphy and Sheringham believe that Rice should leave West Ham for the sake of his career and that he would instantly improve any team he joins. It remains to be seen where Rice will end up, but one thing is for sure – he won’t be short of suitors.