Transfer News: Liverpool linked with West Ham midfielder Declan Rice
According to Football Insider (h/t Liverpool Echo), Liverpool are being linked with a move for £150million-rated English midfielder Declan Rice from West Ham.
Jurgen Klopp is said to be very keen on signing the West Ham star and is of the opinion that he could be a great addition to the Reds side. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder has been excellent for the Hammers this season, forming a solid partnership with Thomas Soucek at the base of midfield.
Rice’s contract with the Hammers expires in 2024 and despite West Ham’s best efforts to tie him down to a new deal, there is a feeling that the defensive midfielder could be out of the door soon.
Despite the manager’s claims that the English midfielder is not for sale, David Moyes’ side will not want to lose their prized asset for free and that could create a possibility where they can look at options for garnering a hefty fee for him.
West Ham are insistent that they will not sell the talented midfielder for anything below £150million. That would be £50million more than what Manchester City paid to bring Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for a record British transfer fee, highlighting how highly the English midfielder is rated at the London Stadium.
There is no doubting Rice’s potential and he is rightfully regarded as one of the best midfield talents in English football today. However, the enormous fee that the Hammers are asking for him could throw off potential suitors- and for good reason.
An exceptional signing?
Spending such a sum on a defensive midfielder, after all, is basically unheard of in football. It would be undermining the talent elsewhere if we say that clubs cannot sign an equally good, equally young defensive midfielder for a lesser fee.
However, the English midfielder is solid in the holding role, capable of playing in both a single or double pivot. Just 23 years old and already having so much pedigree of playing at the highest level, it’s not surprising that there is so much interest in Rice.
Moreover, he is a homegrown talent. And that we can’t say for sure the price tag will end teams’ interest in Rice is just an indication of how crazy the transfer market has been in the past decade or so.
Despite the Reds having a plethora of options in midfield, adding a player of Rice’s quality to the roster will not be a bad idea, especially when we take the long-term picture into account.
Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott have been revelations in the Reds’ midfield this season and could be involved in the set-up for a very long time. But as good as they both are, the youngsters started their careers in a bit more attacking role than the ones they currently play.
Thiago Alcantara, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita are undoubtedly quality players but have had their fair share of injuries this season. To add to that, James Milner and Jordan Henderson aren’t getting younger, and neither of them are natural defensive midfielders.
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Adding a player of Rice’s quality to the ranks would not be a bad idea but at what cost is something for the Reds to ponder. He would be just our second destroyer in midfield apart from Fabinho and a long-term successor for any of our current starters. That is, if we can bring him in, to begin with.
