West Ham United’s manager, David Moyes, believes that retaining Declan Rice last summer could have significantly improved the club’s performance.
Rice, a product of West Ham’s youth system, was a key player for the club during the 2022-2023 season, contributing to their success in winning the Europa Conference League and securing a 14th place finish in the league.
However, the club made the decision to sell Rice to Arsenal for €116.60 million in July 2023, a move that Moyes feels has had negative consequences for West Ham.
Since Rice’s departure, West Ham has struggled to achieve success, failing to win any titles this season and facing difficulties in the Premier League. Currently, they sit 9th in the league table after 36 games, with 13 defeats, 10 draws, and 13 wins.
Meanwhile, Rice has been instrumental in Arsenal’s performance, contributing 7 goals and 9 assists despite playing as a defensive midfielder.
When asked about his team’s struggles, Moyes pointed to Rice’s absence, emphasizing his importance in midfield and defensive stability.
Moyes stated, “When you’ve got the best midfield player in the country protecting, probably limiting 50 per cent of their attacks, it makes you a much better defensive team.”
He added, “We’ve lacked protection in front of the back four, lacked good enough defending, not been good enough at those things in many games.”
