West Ham United must focus on getting the best out of Arsenal and Chelsea transfer target Declan Rice while they still have him at the club.
That's the verdict of former West Ham and Chelsea defender Glen Johnson, who has spoken about the England international's future, amid links with several Premier League clubs.
Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United have all been named as potential suitors for the 24-year-old, who has been a mainstay in West Ham's side for several years now.
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But Johnson feels that Rice is key to West Ham's survival hopes this season, with the Hammers currently just one point above the relegation zone following their 2-0 win against Everton at the London Stadium on Saturday.
"West Ham shouldn’t focus on the possibility of [Declan] Rice leaving just yet," Johnson said. "They need to just use every minute that they’ve got with him and concentrate on their position in the league.
"They can't start focusing about what they're going to do if he's not there. You know, they have bigger problems than that right now. So I think right now is just focusing on getting the performances right and trying to get the wins while you've got Declan.
"Hopefully, that's good enough to keep you in the league and then if he leaves, you rebuild. But right now, I don't think that should be the top of our focus."
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