Darren Bent shares what West Ham must do to keep Declan Rice
Darren Bent has outlined what West Ham must do if they want to keep hold of star man Declan Rice in the summer.
The Midfielder has continuously been linked with a move away from the club over the past 18-months with his east London future uncertain.
Bent believes the Hammers European success is the defining factor in keeping hold of the England international.
“If they win the Europa [League], then of course he isn’t going anywhere,” he said on talkSPORT.
“If they win the Europa, they are in the Champions League and they have won a trophy which is massive for the football club
“If they don’t finish inside the Champions League [places] and they don’t win Europa and then someone comes along with a big bid, what is holding him back?”
In Hammers hands
As hard as it is for Irons to admit, whether Rice stays or not is down to West Ham.
He is a player who could play for any club in the country, maybe even the world, at the moment so it is understandable if he wanted to take his career to the next level.
Hopefully the team continues on its current path and makes the decision for him to leave very hard.
He loves the club, and the fans love him even more so you would hope he would be mindful of the nature of his departure.
If he helps West Ham secure a trophy or Champions League football and gives everything he has to the club before his departure, he can leave with his head held high and nobody can have any complaints.
Things might begin to sour slightly if he leaves the club in the lurch right as they are building something special.
Nobody knows how the transfer saga will pan out but hopefully Rice stays for as long as possible.
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