West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice has continued to shine, recently scoring as the Hammers confirmed their progression to the semi-final of the Europa League. It is yet another step for the 23-year-old, who is starting to flex his muscles on the biggest stage.
It’s such performances that have led him to be linked with a move to Chelsea along with Manchester United in the summer. However, it isn’t likely to be a deal that could come cheap, as manager David Moyes confirmed earlier this year.
Discussing a potential transfer for Rice, the Scotsman said: “The first thing to say is that he is not for sale, if you are interested, well, it will be north of that. One hundred [million pounds] was cheap last summer. One hundred and fifty just now would be minimum, but he is not for sale.”
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It outlines just how much the Blues may have to pay out if they are to try and land their reported transfer target to help freshen up their midfield. However, in light of his recent performances, former footballer and pundit Robbie Savage has backed Rice to copy N’Golo Kante's trick and made a switch this summer.
Writing in his column for the Mirror, he said: “If the Hammers fall just short in Europe, I do think the time would be right for him to broaden his horizons. We are talking about a fantastic talent, probably England's best player at the Euro 2020 final, but is it going to get any better for him at West Ham than a European semi-final?
“Players can reach a peak and go on to win prizes elsewhere. For example, Kevin Keegan left Liverpool in 1977 after winning the European Cup and N'Golo Kante left Leicester after they won the title.
“Both of them prospered by moving on. If £150 million is the going rate for Rice, the asking price is not his fault and there are only a few clubs who could even dream of affording him. If Manchester United, Manchester City or Liverpool came calling for him in the summer, I think he would find it hard to turn down any of them.”
His potential move, as mentioned by Savage, could follow the footsteps of Kante when he joined Chelsea from Leicester in 2016. The Frenchman was fresh from winning the Premier League in a stunning season for the Foxes, only to do it again with the Blues the very next season.
Since his move, Kante has won seven trophies as well as a number of individual awards. Should Rice follow his lead, the Englishman could find himself with a similar, if not better, honours list at the end of his career.
