Former West Ham striker Marlon Harewood has urged Declan Rice to stay at the London Stadium in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, questioning why the 22-year-old would want to leave in the first place.
Rice attracted significant interest from London rivals Chelsea last summer when Frank Lampard was still manager and is now said to be a target for Manchester United.
West Ham boss David Moyes values Rice at “more than £100m”, but Harewood is not keen on the holding midfielder being sold.
Speaking exclusively to FFC about Rice, he said:
“You’ve seen players of that calibre go for a lot of money and it’s hard to justify the price tag, but Declan’s been absolutely fantastic this year. The mannerisms, how he is around the club. You’re not just buying him as a player, you’re buying him as a person as well, and he’s just well-mannered, down to earth. He’d complement whatever club he goes to.
“Hopefully he’ll stay at West Ham, that’s his fit, captain. Why would you want to leave when you’re just about to finish finding the formula? The team’s finding a formula, hopefully to be in the top four, top six, Europe.”
When it comes to interest from other Premier League clubs in Rice, who is actually valued at £49.5m by Transfermarkt, West Ham are in a strong position. The east London club tied the England international down to a new five-year contract at the end of 2018, meaning there is still some time to go before they have to worry about losing their star player on a free transfer.
As things stand, the Hammers are also on course to secure at least a place in next season’s Europa League. European football at the London Stadium, especially if it comes on a Tuesday or Wednesday night, could help Moyes and West Ham convince Rice to stay at the club.