Arsenal Legend Picks 'Perfect' Club For Chelsea’s $136 Long-Term Target: Report

Arsenal legend Nigel Winterburn has picked the "perfect" club for West Ham’s highly-rated midfielder Declan Rice.

After making his competitive debut with West Ham on the final day of the 2016-17 season, Rice has now been with the Hammers for four full seasons and entered his fifth. An impressive run with West Ham led to his inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the European Championships earlier this year.

Rice played a key role for England as the Three Lions made it to the final, which they lost to Italy on penalties.

Having made over 150 competitive appearances for West Ham, a mid-table club in the Premier League, Rice is ready to make a big jump amid interest from several league rivals, including Chelsea and Manchester United.

"£90 million [$122 million] is a huge amount of money for Declan Rice – it’s crazy money, but it’s a fair valuation. Rice has proved himself recently and enhanced his reputation. There’s been a lot of speculation about him moving but it hasn’t fazed him, and he’s just got on with his job. West Ham were successful last season, and until yesterday [Saturday’s defeat against Brentford] they’d had a great start to the season," Winterburn, who represented both Arsenal and West Ham during his playing days, told Paddy Power.

Rice, who wanted to leave West Ham in the summer of 2021, was left unhappy after he was labeled with a price tag of around $122 million-$136 million by West Ham, according to The Telegraph.

The English midfielder was heavily linked with Chelsea. But West Ham’s high demands put off the London club, who instead signed Saul Niguez on loan from Atletico Madrid.

However, following an impressive run in the Euros 2020 for England, the 22-year-old Rice has had an incredible start to the 2021-22 campaign. In four appearances for West Ham, across all competitions, Rice has netted two goals and provided two assists as well. He scored a goal each in West Ham’s Europa League wins against Dinamo Zagreb and Rapid Vienna. Meanwhile, his assists have come in the Premier League, in wins against Leeds United and Leicester City.

“The time will come for him to move on, and I’d be amazed if one of the big clubs in the Premier League is not in for him straight away when they realize he’s available. Potentially even major clubs abroad too. It depends on what Declan wants to do but I’d guess he’d want to stay in the Premier League,” added former Arsenal defender Winterburn.

The soccer player-turned-pundit went on to add that Rice would fit in perfectly in Manchester United’s midfield that already comprises the likes of Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes.

“I’m not sure about Manchester City signing him, but whether Manchester United or Chelsea want to move for him all depends on his availability and if it’s the right time for the club. I can see him suiting United because they’ve got an abundance of attacking talent but are often caught wide open defensively. He would be the perfect fit. Whether United have got another £90m is another matter,” Winterburn explained further.