If West Ham can maintain their upward trajectory, keeping hold of Declan Rice could become a reality, there is every chance that IF the club can finish in the top six for the 2nd year running Declan might wish to hang around. IF the club could finish in the top 4 there is EVERY chance that the then recently turned 23 year old will stay on, at least for a couple more years.
In order for the England midfielder to put pen to paper for a new contract a couple of things need to happen, well three actually. Firstly where the club finishes is obviously the key condition, but how the club plans to move forward is also key to whether Rice stays and finally the club will need to dig deep in it's pockets to provide the sort of wage that is commensurate with one of the WORLD'S TOP players!
Where the club finishes this season is obviously subject to the vagueries of luck, but also of the judgement shown when it comes to bringing in back up player(s) for the remainder of the campaign. What direction the club wants to go in is also crucial, what plans are in place to move forward can influence outcomes and it goes without saying that the money put on the table for wages has to be realistic and NOT an attempt by the club to try 'low balling' their biggest asset.
Hammers simply HAVE to stump up for Declan Rice, the club is wary of handing out big deals due to past misjudgements, but it has to balance the scales between past excesses and future prudence. -ED
