Roy Keane has claimed that reported Liverpool transfer target Declan Rice needs to do more to justify his reputation.
Rice is thought of as one of the country’s leading midfielders, a status which looks set to be confirmed by a big move this summer. But speaking to ITV Sport last night, Keane said he needs to see a lot more from the West Ham United captain.
“I don’t think he’s been great this season, I don’t think he’s kicked on, I really don’t,” railed the pundit. “There’s been a lot of good PR coming out of West Ham about how much he’s worth, I think he needs to do a lot more. Doesn’t score enough goals, doesn’t get enough assists.
“I’ve been a fan of him, he turns up every week, he’s always fit, but I just want a bit more from him. There’s talk he’s going to be leaving for big money, playing for one of the bigger clubs competing for trophies and playing in Champions League. He needs to do a lot more, its as simple as that.
“Sometimes I see games at West Ham, I’m not saying he’s playing badly, but sometimes he’s just going through the motions. [Passing it] sideways, backwards, picking the easy option. He needs to do a lot more to match some of the other top midfielders in the country.”
Liverpool not convinced in Rice race
As much as some people may disagree – and Ian Wright did – Keane is probably right here. There’s been talk of Rice fetching a fee in the region of £100m this summer. When you watch him play, that seems fanciful.
At times he looks to be resting on his laurels. The 24-year-old knows a big move is coming his way regardless of how he plays.
But either way, a big move will come his way. Whether that’s to Liverpool is extremely debatable right now. Just this morning, journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed that the Reds will only go for Rice as a Jude Bellingham alternative.
Seeing as Liverpool are planning for life with Bellingham and with a couple of other midfielders to boot, the West Ham man feels like a break-glass option and nothing more.
Right now, it seems more likely that Rice will end up at one of Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United or Arsenal.
However he performs between now and the end of the season, it’s unlikely his price-tag will change too much. West Ham are expecting a huge fee and are unlikely to settle until they’ve got one. With Liverpool unlikely to come in and Rice underwhelming, let’s hope one of our rivals overpays for him.