Joe Cole shares view on Declan Rice transfer situation at West Ham United
Joe Cole feels that West Ham midfielder Declan Rice will be in demand next summer and every club in Europe will want him, with Real Madrid could be the only exception.
The 24-year-old midfielder is almost certain to leave the Hammers during the summer transfer window, and Cole says it can be “frustrating” for Rice who finds some of his England teammates are fighting for titles, while the Hammers are fighting for survival this season.
Rice has a contract at the London club until 2024, and the Hammers have the option to extend it for another year. However, it is unlikely they would exercise the option, and the club are likely to sell him in the summer to the highest bidder.
“Every club in Europe will be looking at Declan because of what he brings to the team,’ Cole told BTSport.com, as relayed by The Daily Mail.
“The only club I’d probably rule out is maybe Real Madrid because of [Toni] Kroos, [Luka] Modric, [Federico] Valverde, [Aurelien] Tchouameni and [Eduardo] Camavinga… but every other club needs a midfielder and Rice is as good as anyone.
“I’ve been in Rice’s shoes. You’re fighting, you’re fighting and you’re fighting for your club and you want to win trophies and then you speak to your mates in the England squad and it can be frustrating.
“I’m sure Declan would love West Ham to be challenging for the Champions League places and for there to be a new plan with a new owner, but he’s got a decision to make at the end of the season.”
Inevitable
It looks inevitable that Rice will leave the club in the summer, and he has made his decision already. He has been very loyal to the club and always played with pride and passion.
He has been the symbol of excellence for West Ham in recent years and has worked extremely hard to take his game to the next level.
Now, he deserves to play for a big club that can offer him Champions League football. West Ham aspire to be in that position, but the Hammers are not there yet.
David Moyes has already said that Rice will leave for a British record transfer fee. Chelsea paid 105m to sign Enzo Fernandez from Benfica in the January window, and any potential suitor will have to better that offer to land Rice.
The club should not get distracted by such talks at the moment. The main focus now is to finish the season strongly and get away from the relegation zone. It has been a disastrous campaign so far, but there have been signs of improvement in recent games.