West Ham reportedly see James Ward-Prowse, Conor Gallagher and Scott McTominay as potential Declan Rice replacements this summer.
Is Rice leaving West Ham?
The 24-year-old has grown into a formidable player for the Hammers, maturing into the captain at the club and also being a nailed-on starter for England.
It looks as though Rice will be leaving the London Stadium before the start of next season, however, with a move to one of the Premier League's biggest clubs on the cards. Arsenal arguably look like the favourites to acquire his signature, although the likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich are also linked with snapping him up, among others.
It is essential that West Ham bring in a tailor-made replacement for the influential £60,000-a-week star, and a positive update has emerged, in that respect.
Who are West Ham linked with?
According to Football Transfers, Ward-Prowse, Gallagher and McTominay are all in the mix to come in and fill the Rice-shaped void, should he leave in the summer:
"West Ham are looking at a number of key targets for next season including several midfielders who could potentially replace Declan Rice.
"FootballTransfers can reveal that the midfielders in question are Southampton's James Ward-Prowse, Chelsea's Conor Gallagher and Manchester United's Scott McTominay.
"David Moyes is looking at the trio with interest ahead of the window opening, but with Ward-Prowse we understand that West Ham are very keen indeed and a bid could likely go in for the Saints star over the summer."
All three of these players look like strong options, and while they may not quite be on Rice's level, they could sign one and still have money left over for other key signings, or potentially bring in two of them.
Ward-Prowse, dubbed "unstoppable" and "one of the best ever" over a dead ball by Ian Wright, will definitely leave Southampton this summer and could be available for a cut-price amount after their relegation to the Championship. His technical expertise and tackling ability could be a good addition, following nine league goals in 2022/23.
Meanwhile, Gallagher would represent a younger option than Ward-Prowse – 23 compared to 28 – coming in as a long-term option who could excel with regular starts, having struggled to achieve that at Chelsea. He scored eight goals and registered three assists on loan at Crystal Palace in 2021/22, highlighting how much he can shine when given the chance.
McTominay is arguably the least talented of the three, but he could also be an effective signing, possessing Rice's box-to-box energy and potentially thriving as an undisputed key man, rather than a squad player at United. He averaged 1.9 clearances per game in the league this season and would provide defensive cover in the middle of the park.