Former West Ham United defender Glen Johnson believes current captain Declan Rice needs to leave to 'kick on' in his career and has tipped him to join Chelsea.
Rice is returning from representing England at the 2022 Qatar World Cup having started every game for Gareth Southgate's side, eventually losing 2-1 to current holders France at the quarter-final stage.
The midfielder's future as a Hammer is a constant subject of speculation, with a number of Premier League giants, from Manchester United to Chelsea, interested in securing his signature as early as the upcoming January transfer window.
READ MORE: Ex-Arsenal star makes bold Declan Rice England captain claim after Tottenham's Harry Kane miss
Rice has added fuel to the fire by claiming he wants to be playing in the UEFA Champions League, something that is unlikely to happen at the London Stadium next season with the club currently languishing in 15th place - though they are playing in Europe this season after qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League.
With David Moyes' side keen to keep hold of their skipper, Johnson has said that while he wants Rice to continue his career at the London Stadium, he can see a future where he makes a return to the club he represented as a youth player.
“I don’t want him to but he needs to move if he wants to kick on in his career," Johnson told GGRecon. "I think he will end up at Chelsea because he has a soft spot for the club and he knows a number of the lads there. However, you can never know where he will go because he will have a lot of options.”
Moyes has stated in the past that it would cost upwards of £100million to sign Rice from West Ham, and Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth has stated that the east London outfit are under 'no pressure' to sell anytime soon with Rice's contract not up for another three years and with West Ham having an option to extend by a further 12 months.
"I just think there’s no pressure as such for West Ham United to sell," Sheth told GiveMeSport. "I think he’s got a contract that runs until 2024 with a club option of a further year, so we can still say he’s got a contract at West Ham United until 2025. So West Ham can put whatever price they want on him."
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