West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has roused the interest of both Liverpool and Manchester United, according to Ian McGarry on the Transfer Window podcast.
Rice was high on the list of targets for Chelsea before the sacking of Frank Lampard, which has since said to have ended interest from the Stamford Bridge club.
Liverpool and Manchester United are now reported to be keen on the 22-year-old Hammer, according to McGarry, who explained:
He (Rice) is no longer on the transfer list of recruitment possibilities for the Stamford Bridge club, but he has certainly roused the interest of Liverpool and Manchester United, both of whom have expressed interest to Rice’s agent as we understand and they have asked to be kept informed of any offers made for the England international.
The journalist went on to proclaim that Rice had been interested in a return to Chelsea, where he began his career and could once again feel a ‘temptation’ towards playing Champions League football.
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Rice has gone from strength to strength this season for the Hammers and has effectively taken the on-field captaincy duties on a full-time basis.
An ever-present figure in the heart of the midfield, the England international has more or less had the team built around him by David Moyes, and it would like take an astronomical sum to force the club to sell him.
As for his own European ambitions, as things stand the Irons sit above Liverpool in the Premier League and, in the immediate term at least, Champions League football is far from a certainty at Anfield next season.
West Ham must progress year-on-year to match Rice’s development, or else his career in east London will surely reach a tipping point sooner rather than later.
