The uncomfortable truth at West Ham right now is that Declan Rice could be tempted to leave the club. That being said, a move to Chelsea makes no sense for all parties involved.
Across the board, there is no reason a West Ham sale of Declan Rice should end up with the English dynamo heading across London to Chelsea. Sure, he’s mates with Mason Mount, but the pair live in the same city, run in the same circles, and have bright futures alongside each other in the England team, do you really need more than that?
For West Ham…
Let’s start with the obvious one. The Hammers need Declan Rice now and forever. Currently, Rice patrols the midfield in a holding role and the promise he showed with the hopefully permanent transferee of Tomas Soucek shows how the midfield could be run for years to come. He is physical, patient, and a tremendous passer, giving him the near-perfect build for a defensive midfielder.
He also has the ability to slip into the centre-back role, too. Should David Moyes see the need, Rice can return to his original position of central defender and steady the backline. Many believe this to be his natural and best position, but his consistent performances in the midfield challenge this premise regularly.
To make him stay you’d have to offer him the world. If he’s looking for glory, a move away will get him what he desires. If he’s looking for loving affection, support, and the chance to do something special, then East London has to be where he stays. A new, elite level contract and the armband as Mark Noble‘s heir to the captaincy would be a good start.
For Chelsea…
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Frank Lampard has had an up and down inaugural season as Chelsea manager, but with more good than bad, his strategy of using the Chelsea youth to bolster his transfer hamstrung team was a stroke of genius.
That being said, there is still quite a bit of senior-level competition in the midfield, and adding Declan Rice into the mix doesn’t make any sense. As far as central midfielders go (attacking and holding aside), Chelsea currently have: Ngolo Kante, Jorginho, Matteo Kovacic, Mason Mount, Ross Barkley, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Billy Gilmour. Safe to say, there is a bit of competition.
If you’d fancy Rice as a centre-back, which Pellegrini, Moyes, and Gareth Southgate don’t seem to, the competition is just as stiff. Antonio Rudiger, Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen, Fikayo Tomori, Ethan Ampadu, and part-time CB Cesar Azpilicueta all stack up in central defence.
I don’t think Rice would have a problem battling and beating these players for match minutes, but this spelling out of squad depth should prove that Chelsea doesn’t need Rice right now. With Pedro gone, striker depth thin, Willian departing, and left-back a pressing issue, Lampard should worry about his team’s weaknesses rather than recruiting Mount’s friends.
For Declan…
With the England squad as competitive as ever, Declan Rice needs to continuously show he is one of the best defensive midfielders in England and the world. Southgate’s selection and use of him shows that the manager understands his value and skill, but still, consistent game time is needed. Rice gets this and more by staying at West Ham.
As well, Rice can grow very quickly into a leadership role as Noble takes a step back. Insulated by Angelo Ogbonna and Aaron Cresswell on the pitch and Nobes and Snodgrass off it, Rice under the tutelage of Kevin Nolan as coach will become a midfield general if he stays at West Ham. Under his leadership, Rice can also inspire something special if the Hammers do start climbing the table with a younger, hungrier team.
Wanting to succeed and glory hunting are two different things. Everything we’ve seen and heard from Rice shows that he isn’t a glory hunter but is destined for great things. He’ll likely achieve these more easily with a move to a richer club, and I’m not sure supporters would hold it against him.
Still, Chelsea aren’t a fit (regardless of his pal). In a few more years, who knows, but until push comes to shove, never forget who cut you from their academy and who support you relentlessly.=, Dec.