Gary Neville has questioned whether Declan Rice can be compared to the likes of Casemiro and Rodri considering the pricetag West Ham have set for him.
The Hammers were quoted last year as demanding £100million for Rice when Chelsea were heavily linked with him last year and that looks like it won’t change with the midfielder a key player for both his club and England.
However, Gary Neville has recently come out to say that he struggles to see how the 24-year old is worth that much when comparing that to similar midfielders who have cost less.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville has said that you only pay £100million for a “complete player”, something he doesn’t think Rice is yet.
“There’s no doubt that he’s West Ham’s best player. He’s influential and has been brilliant for England. I think the only criticism comes in reflection that the supposed price tag that’s being asked of him is £100million.
“When you get a £100million player, you expect that they are going to be a complete player. Is Declan as good as Rodri or Casemiro at receiving the ball from the back four? Is he as good as Bruno Fernandes going forward? No, he fits somewhere in between both of them.
“The challenge is who’s going to pay £100 million for him. It’s not a criticism it’s more of an observation regarding his ability relating to that price.”
With Rice’s contract at the London Stadium expiring in 2024, it would be very surprising if West Ham were able to demand a nine-figure sum for their captain, but stranger things have happened in football.
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