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West Ham Should Not Entertain the Idea of Selling Declan Rice

By Jeff Catlin

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 17: Declan Rice of West Ham United celebrates with teammate Angelo Ogbonna of West Ham United after scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Watford FC at London Stadium on July 17, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 17: Declan Rice of West Ham United celebrates with teammate Angelo Ogbonna of West Ham United after scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Watford FC at London Stadium on July 17, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /
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It seems that each time the transfer window has opened in recent years, Declan Rice is linked with a move away from West Ham. It makes sense, he is by far the most valuable asset at the club and arguably its best player.

He should be given the captain’s armband on a permanent basis next season and the club should be doing everything they can to build around him and to keep him as happy as possible. Selling him now or in the immediate future would be bad business for West Ham on many fronts.

The midfield pairing of Declan Rice and Soucek is set.

It’s no coincidence that these two working together have been part of West Ham’s return to form both on the attacking end and defensively too.  With Rice as the centrepiece in midfield, Tomas Soucek beside him, and plenty of attacking options on the club already, David Moyes and board need to fill in the areas around these two—Fullback and ACM come immediately to mind.

His value will only grow from here.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 17: Declan Rice of West Ham United celebrates with teammates and David Moyes, Manager of West Ham United after scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Watford FC at London Stadium on July 17, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 17: Declan Rice of West Ham United celebrates with teammates and David Moyes, Manager of West Ham United after scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Watford FC at London Stadium on July 17, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /

A potential sale of Rice is often compared to Harry Maguire’s fee of 80m. First Maguire was 26, Rice is 21. Secondly, the pandemic will suppress transfer fees as most clubs will not have the usual game-day revenue to play with in addition to the TV money.

Now is not the time to even discuss this business. Rice is going to continue to improve and his value and the value of the market should go up from here.  I agree with those who say his valuation should be 100m.

Chelsea will offer nobody worth taking in exchange for Rice.

Chelsea will offer nobody worth taking in exchange for Rice.  Chelsea is the club most often linked to Rice, at least recently.  They are said to be offering a mix of a few players (and fees) in exchange for the future WHU captain. Let’s analyze this—does Chelsea have a better backroom and scouting staff or does West Ham?  Is it plausible a club is going to actually want to give away a player they believe in? Especially to a cross-town rival?

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Olivier Giroud of Chelsea FC celebrates with team mates Willian, Ross Barkley, Reece James after scoring goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 7, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Olivier Giroud of Chelsea FC celebrates with team mates Willian, Ross Barkley, Reece James after scoring goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 7, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images) /

I personally would be leery of any player offered at first blush by the blues.  Problem is, I don’t trust the West Ham “scouts “ to better identify Chelsea’s players.

Continuity at the Club is key.

In this topsy turvy season, the strange timing of the transfer window and the start of next season coming fast, continuity will be key.  For those reasons alone, now is not the time to even give one second of thought to selling Rice. The bottom line is the club needs him to succeed and move on from here. This move at this time would be subtraction by subtraction.

On paper, the Irons had a club that many thought should have threatened for Europe but instead was in a relegation battle through game week 36—WITH Declan Rice in the side.

Next. Manchester United VS West Ham: Match Preview and GSH Predictions. dark

If he wasn’t there not only would he be very hard to replace in this window, West Ham’s very Premier League existence would be in jeopardy. Declan Rice is the future Captain of West Ham United and the singular piece for the board to build around moving forward.