Thomas Tuchel in awe of West Ham ace Declan Rice after contract saga
Thomas Tuchel has gushed over West Ham midfielder Declan Rice branding him a ‘Chelsea boy’ amid the latest twist in his contract saga.
The England international turned down the Hammers’ third attempt of tying him down to a new east London contract [The Guardian].
Ahead of the London Derby at Stamford Bridge on Sunday [April 24], the German coach held back no praise for the Chelsea linked maestro.
He told football.london: “I am absolutely aware that he is a Chelsea boy, and he comes through the academy, and he is very close to our guys.
“He’s a very strong player, and in general, I am absolutely impressed by Soucek and him what they do since I came into the Premier League, and what they do for West Ham.
The Blues coach added: “Declan is an important member of the England team, so it speaks for itself. They are very strong in the build-up, very intelligent in passing and, of course, they are quality players.
“On top of it, the two midfielders represent pretty much what West Ham is all about, they have the heart to play this game to the full extent, and they are very good characters in sportsmanship.”
Think smart.
It would be such a shame if he ended up back at Chelsea, they didn’t want him when he was making his name as a footballer but now he is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League – they are interested again, typical.
This will be a huge blow for West Ham considering he is their best player and the driving force that has allowed the team to reach the heights they have over the last couple of seasons.
But the good news is that David Sullivan and co have plenty of time to plan for his inevitable departure and they should have a sizeable chunk of money to splash on his replacement.
It is imperative that the Irons get their recruitment right once they do sell Rice. Often teams waste the large sums they get on their star players on several players but genuinely finding a central midfield replacement is the most important thing.
It will be hard to fill the 23-year-old’s boots once he leaves but they have to try and this team are good enough to adjust to his absence.
In other West Ham news, Declan Rice has turned down his third new contract at club and Manchester United respond.
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