Declan Rice drops massive transfer hint with World Cup comments

Robin Bairner

• 1 Dec 2022 12:04 GMT
• 3 min read

Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United will have taken note of comments that West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has made regarding his ambitions.

All three clubs are closely monitoring the player as one of a number of midfield targets they have ahead of the summer transfer window in 2023.

Rice is on the shortlist of all three Premier League giants, who are also set to battle over Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham.

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But even if the 23-year-old’s England team-mate is the preferred option of these clubs, he is regarded as a strong alternative.

West Ham, though, are set to make it difficult for Rice to depart. In excellent form for David Moyes’ misfiring side prior to the World Cup break, the Hammers have made it clear that they expect any deal to be worth in excess of £100 million – making him the most expensive English footballer ever.

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While Rice has not publicly expressed an overt desire to leave the club, he has now all but confirmed that he has his eyes set on bigger things.

When asked at a press conference if he wants to play in more World Cups, he said: "100 per cent. For the last two, three years, I’ve been saying that.

“I’ve been playing consistently well for my club, and I want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are winning the Champions League and winning the big trophies.

“You only get one career. At the end of it you want to look at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in. I’m really ambitious.”

Rice on the move

West Ham have not shown themselves capable of fulfilling Rice’s ambitions, and it increasingly appears that the player feels he is destined for greater things.

His contract is up in 2024, making the summer the last significant opportunity for his club to cash in on him.

Chelsea, Man Utd and Liverpool are all enduring testing seasons, though, and if one does not break the bank to make a shock January move, Rice’s likeliest transfer destination may hinge on which clubs reach the Champions League next term.