Arsenal and Manchester United target Declan Rice drops transfer hint after UEFA Conference League triumph
West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has stated that he is happy at his current club amid reports linking him with Manchester United and Arsenal.
Most fans and pundits alike believe that Rice is likely to exit the London Stadium this summer despite having another year left on his contract. The Guardian reported last month that Arsenal remain the club likeliest to sign the Englishman, but that Manchester United plan to rival them.
Rice has shown his value and quality while captaining West Ham this term, helping them stave off relegation to finish 14th in the Premier League. On Wednesday, June 7, the midfielder also helped them clinch the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy with a 2-1 win over ACF Fiorentina.
The victory marked the Hammers' first trophy since their 1979-80 FA Cup triumph.
Speaking after the match, Rice, who has also been linked with Bayern Munich, refused to speak too much about the rumors linking him away from the club. He said (as quoted by @ArsenalBuzzCom on Twitter):
“There's a lot of speculation going on about my future. There is interest from other clubs. That's out there. But ultimately I've still got two years left at West Ham.
“I love this club. I love playing for this club. There hasn't been nothing yet so my focus is playing for West Ham, enjoying tonight and seeing what happens.”
The 24-year-old concluded:
“I'm captain of this club, I absolutely love it to pieces. I cannot speak highly enough of this place and lets see what happens.”
🗣️| Declan Rice: “There's a lot of speculation going on about my future. There is interest from other clubs. That's out there. But ultimately I've still got two years left at West Ham.
“I love this club. I love playing for this club. There hasn't been nothing yet so my focus is… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/UTFOZZvJpj
Sky Sports reported earlier this month that West Ham will only allow Rice to leave if they receive an offer worth £120 million. It remains to be seen if Manchester United, Arsenal or Bayern Munich will match that price, or if the Hammers will eventually lower their valuation.
Rumored Arsenal and Manchester United target Declan Rice was solid for West Ham in win over Fiorentina
Given West Ham United's difficult 2022-23 Premier League season, there were doubts over their ability to defeat ACF Fiorentina, who finished eighth in Serie A. However, the Hammers picked up a last-gasp 2-1 victory to win the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Declan Rice played an instrumental role in the win while donning the captain's armband. The reported Manchester United and Arsenal target recorded one successful dribble, completed 82% of his passes and won five of his seven duels. He also made three tackles and three clearances.
West Ham went ahead in the 62nd minute through Said Benrahma's penalty, but Giacomo Bonaventura got the equalizer five minutes later. Jarrod Bowen's 90th-minute strike then secured the trophy for David Moyes' men.