West Ham star Declan Rice's future looks very clearly to be away from the London Stadium. For a number of seasons, the 24-year-old has chosen to remain at the Hammers despite strong interest in his services, but with 12 months left on his contract an exit in the summer seems best for both parties.
Signing an extension beyond 2024 has seemed highly unlikely for Rice and a departure this summer allows West Ham to receive a hefty fee for their club captain. Arsenal and Chelsea are the two main clubs targeting the England international, with the Gunners setting Rice as their priority target, football.london understands.
Both London clubs were locked in a January transfer battle for Moises Caicedo, but Brighton were able to keep hold of their lynch pin, despite five offers coming their way. With significant talk over a big-money move being secured for Rice, some criticism has been thrown his way in one particular department that stops him from being the complete midfielder.
