Exclusive By Dave Langton
West Ham have tonight confirmed to us that Declan Rice will not be signing a new contract at the club this summer.
The Hammers star midfielder and the club have reached an agreement over his future, and there remains no chance that Declan will be sold this summer.
However, there is an understanding that the England international will likely leave the club next summer.
There remained hopes that he would commit to a new deal, that would potentially see a release clause included, but a club insider has confirmed to us that he will not be putting pen to paper in this transfer window saying: “Declan won’t sign a new contract.”
It is not exactly a blow for the Irons, as we have known for some time that the Hammers and Declan have an agreement over his future, but it does clarify that he is more likely than not to leave next summer.
As far as this summer goes, though, Declan will be remaining a Hammer.
Inevitable I suppose but is hanging on to him for one more campaign knowing that he’ll be leaving at the end of the season really going to help us??
But then if we win a cup and qualify for the Champions League (after spending £150 million on world class players) he might even stay…oh yeah, fortune always hiding! ⚒️
Better get Bissouma in now pay whatever it takes to get him, he is worth 70 or 80m in todays market but probably available for less. Next season we could lose Dec and Soucek if the rumours are true so may as well maximise what we can get for them and have as much of pre-season as possible to get the new players upto speed.
If he is not committed you have to question what we get from him next season? Also if he thinks other clubs offer him a better route to European football, it doesn’t say much about his confidence as a leader that can take us forward. I would have thought battling to get WHU into the Champions league is a greater achievement than walking into a “job half done” at Chelsea or Man U for example.