West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has expressed his desire to extend his stay at the club and end his current contract situation.
The 19-year-old has been a revelation in the Hammers midfield ever since Manuel Pellegrini placed his faith in him and selected him to be a part of the new look midfield trio.
His current deal – which is currently £3,000-a-week – ends in the summer of 2021 according to the Times, and the enforcer is more than happy to put pen to paper over a new deal, adding that he is confident that it is “going to happen”.
“I want to sign for West Ham and I think it is going to happen,” he told the Times.
“Playing every week is what is best for me at the moment and hopefully the contract can come soon.”
OPINION
Rice’s contract stand-off has been going on for a while now, so the fact that he has put every West Ham fan’s mind at rest by assuring them he is going to sign must be music to their ears. Many were fearing that he was never going to sign and he would therefore be at risk of moving to one of the bigger clubs, but that now does not seem to be the case after this confirmation. By the sounds of it, the young ace is more than happy to stay on at the London Stadium, and this will delight Pellegrini as well. Rice has established himself as one of the best players in the starting XI, so the manager would no doubt be absolutely gutted if he were to leave. However, Rice will now have to put his words in action and actually prove to the fans he wants to stay by physically signing a deal – which is £21,000-a-week along with bonuses according to the Times – in the near future.
