Graeme Souness was very critical of former West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice at the World Cup. He has now claimed that the now-Arsenal player would not get into other top European sides.
Speaking on Football Uncensored, Souness claimed that Rice was more of a defender and added that "I’m not sure if he gets in Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Man City."
There is no doubt that Rice has excellent defensive qualities, as he played predominantly as a centre-back for West Ham's Under-21s. He also at times filled in at the position for the Hammers' first team. However, he became a top midfielder, which led to his £105 million move to Arsenal.
At Arsenal, he has now won the Premier League and is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world. Rice can carry the ball forward and spray passes across the field, which makes him far more than just a defensive midfielder.
Declan Rice has been linked with Real Madrid
Strangely, Souness claims that Rice would not get into the likes of Real Madrid's team. This is especially as Rice is being linked with a move to Los Blancos. TEAMtalk has revealed that "Rice, in particular, has drawn admiration from Real Madrid, where influential figures have pushed for the England midfielder to be considered a priority target."
The Gunners are desperate to keep Rice, with Nicolo Schira posting on X: "Arsenal are planning Declan Rice’s contract extension until 2031. The midfielder has turned down a huge bid from Saudi in the last months and is considered a key-player by Mikel (Arteta), who pushing to lock the player."
Mark Phillips, who is West Ham's video analyst and used to be an academy coach, recently revealed that Rice wants to play abroad and return to West Ham. Therefore, a move to Real Madrid could be on the cards before a stint back at the London Stadium.
It has been the case that West Ham heroes have returned to the club in the past. Joe Cole went on to play for Chelsea, Liverpool, and Lille before returning to the Hammers. Tony Cottee also had two stints at West Ham, which sandwiched his spell at Everton.
Rice is only 27, so he still has a lot of football at the highest level ahead of him. This will be for the foreseeable future at Arsenal, but he could also play for another top European side. Football careers rarely go as a player intends. However, maybe one day we could see Rice wear claret and blue once again.
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