Declan Rice has all but confirmed that he wants to leave West Ham, saying that he wants to play in and win the UEFA Champions League.
Rice has been one of the best-performing midfielders in the Premier League for some time now and is widely expected to leave West Ham for one of the top English clubs.
Many thought he’d do so in the summer with Manchester United and Chelsea heavily linked with him but he ultimately stayed put.
It now seems all but certain though that, once the opportunity arises, he’ll bid farewell to West Ham after admitting to the press in Qatar that he wants to compete for the Champions League like his England teammates.
“I see my friends here, who are playing Champions League, winning the big trophies,” he said.
“You only get one career. At the end of your career, you want to look back at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in.
“I’m really ambitious, and I really want to do that.'”
With West Ham in no position to qualify for the Champions League, currently 16th in the Premier League, it seems all but certain that he’ll leave. On the bright side for the club, his impressive performances for England at the World Cup should at least allow them to demand a huge fee for Rice’s services.
As for where he could go next, 90min understands that Rice is Chelsea’s top midfield target for 2023, but Liverpool, Man City and Man Utd are all known admirers of the 23-year-old.