Even if West Ham win the Europa League, it might be the right time for Declan Rice to move on.
The Hammers value their captain at £150 million. Wow - is Rice really one of the top three most expensive players in history, along with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe? For a No.6 holding midfielder, that's a colossal amount of money. Normally it's strikers who would fetch that kind of astronomical sum.
But Rice's value to West Ham cannot be overstated after they reached their first European semi-final in 46 years with that superb performance in Lyon. First and foremost, it's a phenomenal achievement for the club to reach the last four of a major competition in Europe just two years after they were dicing with relegation.
That's a tribute to manager David Moyes and the way he has transformed the Hammers' outlook – without spending huge amounts of money. But Rice's career is approaching a crossroads. Make no mistake, he is is terrific player and he is still only 23 years old.
He has a good passing range, he rarely gives the ball away – always the hallmark of a top midfielder – and he chips in with the odd goal, although you could argue a player of his ability is capable of scoring more. I suspect West Ham's best hope of holding on to him, maybe their only hope, is to qualify for the Champions League by winning the Europa League. I fear a top-four finish at home is probably just beyond them now.
But 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?
Should Declan Rice leave West Ham this summer? Where should he go? Have your say here
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. Hang on – you might ask why Rice would leave West Ham for Old Trafford when they are above them in the Premier League.
But this is a great time to join Manchester United. Surely, after five years without a trophy, the only way is up for them. If I were in new United boss Erik Ten Hag's shoes, I would want to rebuild my team around a player of Rice's stature. And he would still be joining one of the biggest clubs in the world.
City will be looking to replace long-serving Fernandinho this summer, Liverpool are always in the market for top players and Chelsea are long-time admirers of Rice – although the takeover saga at Stamford Bridge has yet to reach a conclusion. Realistically, those would be Rice's best options, although it wouldn't surprise me if Europe's big guns joined the chase.
The way West Ham have performed over the last two seasons, I see no point in him going to Arsenal or Tottenham. That would be a sideways move. But wherever he plays his football next season, Declan Rice knows he will be in the top three most valuable footballers on the planet.
