Newcastle United defender Kieran Trippier has claimed that West Ham captain Declan Rice is better than Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey and Manchester United star Casemiro.
Partey has enjoyed an excellent season in north London, establishing himself as one of the Gunners' most important players in a campaign that sees them currently five points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Still, that hasn't stopped Rice from being linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium and football.london understands that the England international is Mikel Arteta's primary transfer target for the summer window.
Now, Magpies' right-back Trippier had heaped praise on his international teammate, hailing him as one of the best holding midfielders in the world. "Declan’s unbelievable," the former Tottenham Hotspur man told Rio Ferdinand's Vibe with FIVE podcast.
READ MORE: Mark Noble delivers honest verdict on Declan Rice West Ham exit amid Arsenal transfer links
"I don’t know if you watched the game the other day when we [Newcastle] played West Ham, just his intelligence, the way he breaks up play, how he travels with it, powerful, unbelievable. Probably one of the best in the world in what he does."
Trippier was then asked if he thinks Rice is better than both Partey and United defensive midfielder Casemiro, to which he responded: "Yeah. As defenders you appreciate like me you appreciate the likes of Michael Carrick or Declan, it makes your job easier, they’re just mopping everything up.
"Don’t get me wrong, Casemiro, the trophies he’s won - the Champions Leagues - of course he’s a world-class player, but if you’re talking right now, Dec is incredible, he’s got the age as well."
It will take a steep price to prise Rice away from West Ham this summer, with some reports claiming that he will command a fee in the region of £120 million and he has made it no secret of his desire to compete for the top trophies in world football whilst also admitting he would love to play in the UEFA Champions League sooner rather than later. "100 per cent I want to play in the Champions League," the 24-year-old said back in December of last year.
"For the last two or three years I’ve been saying that. I’ve been playing consistently well for my club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing.
"I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies. You only get one career and at the end you want to look back at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in."
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