With only a handful of games left of the 2022/23 Premier League season, it would appear that West Ham have come to the realisation that their captain, Declan Rice, will be moving on at the end of the campaign.
The Hammers haven’t been at their best domestically throughout the season, and for a player of his stature, it would be completely understandable why Rice would look for a switch elsewhere.
Getting a decent transfer fee in return would be a win of sorts for the east Londoners as it would at least allow them to strengthen in a few areas.
TalkSPORT note that Rice is ‘excited’ by the prospect of a switch to north London and a move to Arsenal, with the outlet going as far as to suggest that it is his most likely destination.
Newcastle are also credited with an interest, however, moving to Tyneside, whilst surely financially lucrative, would mean Rice uprooting to a part of the country he’s not lived in before and may therefore not settle in.
Staying in London therefore makes sense on a practical level, and if Arsenal do go on and win the title this season, he’ll be walking into a confident dressing room that are ready to take on Europe’s elite again in the Champions League.
From a playing perspective too, it would be a switch that is likely to suit Rice’s style. West Ham have been overly defensive throughout 2022/23, only managing to score 29 goals in their 30 matches, compared to the Gunners 74 per the official Premier League website.
With Rice enjoying driving forward with the ball, he’ll surely find himself on the score sheet more often, something that Roy Keane suggested he needed to do to be a more complete midfielder during a recent live commentary, with quotes run by The Mirror.
“I don’t think he has kicked on for all the talk there has been about him – he needs to do a lot more. He doesn’t score enough goals or get enough assists. I have been a fan of him, he is always fit, but I just want a little bit more from him,” the former Man United captain had said.