Rice's Dad is a Chelsea fan - a season ticket holder, and Rice himself a boyhood Chelsea fan and of course Mount's bff - they came up through the Chelsea youth system together, so the links have always been there.
I think after last season's League and European run and being made club captain this summer he is content to stay put this season. I don't think he signs another contract with WHU though, unless he has a release clause in there that helps to facilitate a move that isn't £150m because he isn't going anywhere at that price. And his agents will know next summer WHU wouldn't be able to demand that. He has 2 years left on his deal, so WHU are in dangerous territory. I personally think they cash in on him next summer and get their £75m or whatever Chelsea/City/United would pay for him. I don't think he would move to United to be honest, think he can do better than that - especially if they don't make the CL again this season.
Price tags for English players are insane, granted. Maguire and Grealish are the two most recent examples of how a players price tag doesn't marry up to their talent/contribution to a side. Even in the lower price brackets moves like Wan Bisaka (£50m), Ben White, Sancho etc... are players who were probably overpriced due to their nationality. But its what people are prepared to pay for them.
If all of those players are going for those figures, then WHU have every right to demand £100m+ for Declan Rice because he is head and shoulders above all of those in terms of how they perform in their respective positions, and has consistently performed in the PL for 3 seasons now in a side that was nothing spectacular and found themselves over-performing.
Forget the 'best of the rest' tag. Give the lad his dues - who has performed better in the PL than him over the last 3 seasons in his position? Who has put up his level of performances? Because once you consider Fabinho, Kante for a period, Henderson for large periods of those 3 years, Rodri - who else is there? I haven't seen anyone else in those positions at his level. He is 23, carried that West Ham midfield last season - Soucek had a poor season next to him, both ended up getting run into the ground. I think he is ready to make that step up and test himself in a better team with a higher level of European football. He has ousted Henderson from the England side already. Has looked very good at that level in a system that probably suits him quite a bit, but the day he does become available I don't doubt for a second that top clubs would want him. I personally don't think we have the need for him as we have Fabinho and Henderson, but if Henderson was a year or two older then I'd definitely be looking at Rice. I think he could kick on and become more of an #8 - the last 12 months have seen him become more progressive with the ball, I'd like to see a top coach try and get more out of him in that sense.
You may not want to like him, may not like West Ham and everything else that normally goes with that but he is excellent, and on the verge of outgrowing West Ham which is maybe the biggest compliment I can give him. I am not sure how much better he can get there, as they aren't exactly investing around him and into the side, so I am half expecting them to regress but Rice to continue excelling.
