Sir Trevor Brooking revealed West Ham needed to avoid selling Declan Rice over the next couple of seasons in order to help attract quality players to the squad.
The Hammers legend shared he’d like to think he could convince the 20-year-old to stay at the London Stadium for the next three or four years, but noted the midfielder need to see the side progressing.
Brooking added that while he liked to feel the Hammers would do everything to keep Rice, it was worth pointing out their ability to succeed in the transfer market could be effected if they opt to cash in on him.
“A you’ve got to look at the player, I still think Declan has come through this and I like to think if I was here that I could persuade him to stay three or four years and given him a chance,” said Brooking in an interview with Ian Abrahams, uploaded to the talkSPORT’s reporters Instagram account (8:20).
“Having said that, you’ve got to see the club gradually try to strengthen players around him in order to make it instead of a 7th to 12th club, a top-six club, but that’s only going to be by quality buying.
“For Declan to see that the side is progressing, I would certainly like to feel as a fan, which I am, that they will do as much as possible to keep on for him for three or four years.
“As their success in attracting quality players to this team and this squad will depend a lot on not cashing in on him in the next couple of years.”
OPINION
This is an odd one. Brooking clearly believes Rice is a key player for the Hammers, which there’s no denying, but would his exit really stop quality players arriving. If the Hammers legend had said this about Felipe Anderson or Marko Arnautovic it perhaps would have made more sense. However you feel Brooking is trying to say that the Hammers will show they mean business if they hold onto Rice as he will likely have high-profile suitors, which in some degrees makes sense. Yet with Rice only being 20-years-old, it doesn’t seem like he’s the type of player that footballers around the globe would jump at the chance to play alongside just yet. With this in mind Brooking may have been a bit too bold with those remarks on this occasion, even though it’s clearly important to keep Rice at the London Stadium for many seasons to come. It’s important to keep Rice for footballing reasons rather than his effect on the club’s potential transfer dealings.
