West Ham are close to admitting defeat in their hopes of keeping hold of midfielder Declan Rice.
The talented defensive midfielder has so far remained loyal to the Hammers but after opting against extending his contract, the summer window is set to see the England international finally move on, and although linked with almost every top-six club, according to journalist Rudy Galetti, Arsenal and Liverpool are the two teams to watch.
Rice, 24, currently has a little over 12 months left on his deal, and although the Hammers retain the option to add another year, should the club trigger it, it would only be to protect the midfielder’s value, rather than to keep him in their squad for an additional year.
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With some of the world’s biggest clubs monitoring the 24-year-old’s situation, West Ham will be bracing themselves for offers, and speaking about their desire to open discussions at the end of the season, Galetti, who spoke to GiveMeSport, said: “It’s too early to talk about negotiation between clubs because West Ham don’t want to discuss about Rice with any clubs until June.
“But for sure, Arsenal will be one that will follow the player with great attention during the next transfer window, and in that sense, we also need to pay attention to Liverpool, who are really interested in him.”
Since being promoted to the Hammers’ senior first team back in 2017, Rice, who also has 39 international caps under his belt, has gone on to feature in 222 matches, in all competitions, directly contributing to 23 goals along the way.