How much should Chelsea and Man Utd pay for Declan Rice?
Cameron Smith
- 27 Sept 2021 16:04 BST
- 4 min read
Criticised for so long, Declan Rice has kept on slowly improving, and is now widely regarded as one of the most talented defensive midfielders in the Premier League, if not Europe.
This season, he has added a sense of progression to his game that was never previously there. A few years ago, he was simply a player who would win the ball back, and play a simple five-yard pass - his game was very limited.
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Now, he often breaks the lines, whether that be with a pass, or with a dribble, as seen with his sensational solo goal in the Europa League against Dinamo Zagreb.
He is a starter for England in every game, often alongside Leeds' Kalvin Phillips, and despite still having his doubters, Rice is proving them wrong with every passing week.
Amongst central midfielders in the Premier League, Rice has made the most passes into the final third, with 49, and the most carries into the final third, with 20. In essence, Rice has been the most progressive midfielder in the entire league so far this season, dispelling any myths about his ability on the ball.
Still only 22, Rice already has three full seasons of consistent starts under his belt, as well as a further campaign during which he made 15 league starts; despite his young age, he's certainly experienced.
It's this maturity, and talent that has prompted both Chelsea and Manchester United to be keeping an eye on his situation. Both clubs are reportedly very keen on Rice, and view him as the solution to their defensive midfield issues.
West Ham, however, are unsurprisingly desperate to keep hold of him, and so that's why Football Insider have reported that West Ham are only willing to sell the Englishman for £90 million. The report says that the Hammers are wanting to sell Rice for that much money after he refused a new contract, and have already begun lining up replacements.
The question is, is Rice worth £90m?
How much is Rice worth?
While West Ham want £90m for Rice, according to Football Transfers' algorithm, Rice is only worth €50.8m, which equates to £43.3m, far lower than what the Hammers are demanding to secure his services.
At the moment, Phil Foden is England’s most valuable player, with the Man City star worth €107.6m according to our algorithm, while Rice is down in 13th place, behind the likes of John Stones, and Bukayo Saka.
If he continues his current upward trajectory, however, then Rice could well rise up that ranking, and if he does move to a bigger club, then his value will certainly increase.
He has captained West Ham on several occasions, having been let go by Chelsea as a teenager, but with his contract at the London Stadium expiring in 2024, next summer is the last chance for West Ham to receive close to what they demand for their star man.
West Ham appear to be in a good position financially, which is why they have been able to set such a high price tag for Rice. However, they may have to drop their asking price, closer to our valuation, in order to receive a decent transfer fee for the Englishman, otherwise he could start running down his contract and leave for less money in 2023, or for free in 2024.
