Declan Rice has been told he 'has to leave' West Ham in pursuit of Champions League football as Arsenal and Chelsea both lurk in the background hoping to land his signature.
The Hammers skipper has long been linked with a move away from east London, but with West Ham standing firm in their eye-watering asking price, no deal has ever come to fruition. However, ex-Liverpool ace Danny Murphy has claimed that Rice has to find a way out of the London Stadium as soon as this coming summer.
The midfielder's current contract situation means technically he is tied to West Ham until the summer of 2024, but by that time Rice would be free to leave the club for nothing. As a result, the next window represents their last realistic opportunity to generate serious cash for their captain.
While it is widely believed that Mikel Arteta's side are the ones leading the race for his signature, Arsenal are not the only interested party.
Chelsea, where Rice once played academy football, and Manchester United are also keeping tabs on the situation with a view to potentially swooping in the summer.
Erik ten Hag is rumoured to have identified Rice as one player who could drastically improve United's midfield options and strengthen an area that has at times caused the Dutchman headaches this term.
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Murphy feels that the main focus now should simply be heading for the exit at West Ham, as he told the Daily Mail : " Declan Rice has to leave West Ham.
"Ideally he would have gone last summer because it’s been hard for him to maintain his best form in a team that doesn’t keep the ball or boss games as well as others.
"He’s 100 per cent ready to move to the next level and at 24 won’t want to wait any longer for Champions League football."
Murphy did go on to explain where he thinks may be the best place for Rice to head to next, adding: "Arsenal would be a great option and I think he’d be an automatic starter. The lure of Chelsea is also strong, having grown up supporting the club and playing in their academy."
Rice's stock has only risen since the international break, with the 24-year-old opening the scoring for England in their 2-1 win over Italy in Naples last Thursday.
In the past, West Ham are thought to have wanted as much as £100million for Rice, but given his contract situation it seems unlikely that David Moyes' side will be able to demand such a fee.
