Danny Murphy has urged Declan Rice to leave West Ham (Pictures: Getty)
Danny Murphy has told Declan Rice he ‘has to leave’ West Ham this summer as he continues to be linked with Premier League rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Rice is expected to leave the Hammers at the end of the season, having established himself as one of the most consistent players in the Premier League and a mainstay in Gareth Southgate’s England side.
West Ham value Rice at around £100m, meaning the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United may need to make the 24-year-old the most expensive English player in history if they are serious about securing his signature this summer.
Premier League leaders Arsenal tried to sign a new central midfielder in January and failed with multiple bids for Brighton star Moises Caicedo.
The Gunners have also expressed interest in West Ham’s Rice, however, and are reportedly ‘confident’ of beating Chelsea and Manchester United to a summer deal.
Blues owner Todd Boehly has spent almost £600m on new signings since purchasing the club but is nevertheless interested in bringing former Chelsea academy player Rice back to west London.
Manchester United will also look to bolster Erik ten Hag’s midfield options this summer and have identified Rice as a possible target.
Rice scored in England’s Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy (Picture: Getty)
‘Declan Rice has to leave West Ham,’ former Premier League midfielder Murphy told the Daily Mail.
‘Ideally he would have gone last summer because it’s been hard for him to maintain his best form in a team that doesn’t keep the ball or boss games as well as others.
‘He’s 100 per cent ready to move to the next level and at 24 won’t want to wait any longer for Champions League football.
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‘Arsenal would be a great option and I think he’d be an automatic starter. The lure of Chelsea is also strong, having grown up supporting the club and playing in their academy.’
Rice scored in England’s recent Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy and is expected to start Sunday’s clash with Ukraine at Wembley.
Ex-England midfielder Joe Cole described Rice as the ‘best player on the pitch’ after the Three Lions clinched a 2-1 win in Naples.
‘Declan Rice was the best player on the pitch by a mile,’ Cole said on Channel 4. ‘It was terrible defending for the goal, but he’s alive to it.
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‘If it’s a centre-forward we’re talking about instinct. He was outstanding from start to finish.
‘But I’ve got to say I’m baffled by Italy’s defending. This is a country known for their defending but it was unacceptable from Italy in that first half.
‘Most of the defenders just switch off. But Rice deserves credit because it takes it like a centre-forward, he did really well there.’
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The England star has a big decision to make.