Declan Rice: West Ham star ‘annoyed’ after January failure and could ask to leave this summer – pundit
Declan Rice could look to leave West Ham in the summer after the club failed to make a signing in January.
That’s according to former Leeds United stopper Paddy Kenny, speaking exclusively to Football Insider after David Moyes lifted the lid on the Hammers’ attempts to strengthen last month.
As quoted by The Standard (2 February), Moyes admitted “We probably made three record transfer bids” during January.
However, no new faces arrived at the London Stadium.
Kenny fears West Ham could drop off in the race for the top four and claimed this could lead to Rice’s departure.
“They might have put record bids in, that doesn’t matter,” Kenny told Football Insider correspondent Ben Wild.
“West Ham are shopping in a different market now. They aren’t fighting in the bottom half of the table anymore.
“They are a European club, they are looking for players who are on another level.
“They will be disappointed to not get anyone in but Declan Rice will be annoyed.
“He’s one who could look to leave if West Ham don’t progress during the second half of this season.
“He’s a player who should be playing at the very highest level, I’m looking at Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea.
“They will all want him in the summer if he makes it known he wants to leave.
“West Ham may have had those bids in, but it doesn’t matter if they aren’t accepted.”
Rice is a vital player at West Ham, starting all but one of their Premier League games this season.
The 23-yea-old has made 173 appearances for the club.
In other news, Football Insider can reveal the Hammers launched a last-minute attacker bid.