View: West Ham’s Declan Rice contract dilemma
Declan Rice faces a dilemma as the midfielder continues to attract interest from European giants amid contract talks with West Ham.
The 22-year-old has excelled in the last couple of seasons with the Irons rewarding the midfielder with the captain’s armband.
If he wasn’t already on the elite teams’ radar, he certainly was after he played a vital role in England’s European championship run that saw the Three Lions fall short to Italy on penalties in the final.
West Ham valued Rice at £100m which did a good job at keeping bidders at bay. However, as the Londoners’ contract comes to an end, the Hammers have a big decision on their hands in terms of what to do with Rice going forward.
The skipper’s contract expires in 2024 with the Irons desperate to extend his deal.
The dilemma
It is rumoured that Rice would be open to signing a new contract with the East London club under the condition a release clause is included. However, the Hammers are notoriously known for not including release clauses in their contracts, making a new deal much harder to agree upon.
Rice is a top footballer who could easily play at the very highest level of the game so West Ham need to be cautious in their approach to negotiations.
If they tie Rice down to a new long-term deal and the Irons suffer a drop in form, his head could be turned.
The time-old tale will resurface with the Hammers losing many players at a reduced price due to a loss of interest in form at the London Stadium – most notably Dimitri Payet.
Rice does not seem like that type of player, but stranger things have happened in football.
The Solution
With West Ham wanting to strike a healthy balance with Rice without imprisoning him under a new long-term deal, they must re-evaluate their contract strategy.
The best outcome for both parties is Rice being tied down to a new deal that reflects his value to the club with a release clause.
The Hammers can set the clause as high as they want in an attempt to keep the player but if Rice eventually wants to take the next step in his career he must be allowed to before things sour.
If West Ham can’t keep hold of the powerhouse, they must let him go for a huge figure and use that money to reinvest in their squad in his absence.
In other West Ham news, Said Benrahma could miss ten key games for West Ham due to AFCON and postponements.