Former Premier League defender Alan Hutton believes West Ham are preparing for life after Declan Rice.
This comes after the Hammers reportedly opened talks to sign Juventus defensive midfielder Weston McKennie having already signed Alex Kral during the summer.
Such arrivals would mean there is extraordinary strength in depth at the London Stadium and could pave the way for a certain departure.
That’s the view of Hutton, who told Football Insider that he would love to see the 23-year-old USA star in the Premier League.
He definitely burst onto the scene with Juventus. He came from nowhere and I remember saying: ‘Who’s this boy?’ He’s a fantastic player. His stock’s rising, a player that’s maybe not played as much as he’d want this season. An opportunity to move to a club in the English Premier League could be a good move for him. You know what it’s like, clubs plan ahead. They will know inside what’s going to happen with Declan Rice. Whether they are going to be able to get him to sign a new deal or they’re going to cash in, they have to have plans. They will have plan A, B and C moving forward. The fans will demand it. They will demand if Rice is to move on they bring in another player that can play that position to a high standard.
McKennie played 14 minutes in the UEFA Champions League as Juventus beat Chelsea 1-0 in the Allianz Stadium.
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Signing an additional midfielder of a similar ilk to Rice, Kral and Tomas Soucek would certainly be a bizarre move – especially in light of Conor Coventry’s likely push for a senior squad role next term.
Albeit club legend Mark Noble is set to retire at the end of the season, McKennie’s capture would suggest one of the trio in situ could move on.
There remains a possibility the player to leave could be Kral, having only signed on a season-long loan deal with an option to buy.
Rice’s defiant interview ahead of the Europa League clash against Rapid Vienna would suggest that the 22-year-old isn’t angling for a move away anytime soon.
