Journalist Paul Brown believes West Ham midfielder Declan Rice will bide his time before making a decision on his future at the club.
The 22-year-old rising star has been on West Ham's books since joining their academy as a teenager in 2013, but he is attracting plenty of interest from elsewhere.
What's the latest news involving Declan Rice?
Rice is contracted to West Ham until 2024, and the Premier League outfit have the option to extend that deal by a further 12 months.
However, some of the biggest clubs in the country are understood to be keen on signing the England international.
It was reported back in September that Manchester City and Manchester United were leading the race for his signature, and he has previously been linked with Chelsea and Liverpool as well.
Rice, who is valued at £63m by Transfermarkt, does not seem to be allowing the speculation to affect his performances on the pitch, though. Playing at the heart of the Irons' midfield, he has guided the team to third in the table, just three points off top spot.
According to WhoScored, he has been West Ham's best player this term, earning an average match rating of 7.46.
What has Brown said about Rice?
Rice recently hailed the team spirit at West Ham, and appears to be perfectly happy with where he is playing his football at the moment.
Yet Brown feels the youngster could quash all the rumours by signing a new deal with David Moyes' men. He has hinted that the fact that Rice hasn't indicates that he is keeping his options open for the moment, and that he could still be tempted away from the London Stadium in the future.
Speaking about Rice, Brown told GIVEMESPORT: “There’s always that little question mark in the back of your head. Well, if you’re enjoying it so much, why haven’t you signed your contract? And then he doesn’t really have an answer for that. So, he’s definitely hanging around waiting to see what happens.”
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Is Rice any closer to signing a new deal with West Ham?
There is no news to suggest that he is, but he must be delighted with how things are going at the moment. The team are flying in the table, and from an individual perspective, Rice is getting better and better.
Of course, going to one of the 'big four' would be an exciting opportunity for Rice, but the grass isn't always greener on the other side.
His main aim should be trying to play Champions League football as soon as possible, and right now, it seems that he has a decent chance of getting into the top four with West Ham this year.
If the Hammers do make Europe's elite club competition, there will be very little reason for Rice to leave, and at that point he may put pen to paper on a new deal.
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