talkSPORT reporter drops major claim on Declan Rice's West Ham future amid Telegraph report

TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook insists that Declan Rice knows he needs to leave West Ham United in the summer transfer window.

The defensive midfielder has been heavily linked with an exit from the club in recent weeks, with the Hammers slipping away from the top four.

They did not manage to sign a new player in the January transfer window.

The Irons were heavily linked with a number of bids, particularly for Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips and Raphinha. Per The Guardian, a bid of £50m was tabled for the midfielder, while another £50m bid was thrown in for the winger, per 90min.

The Athletic also reports that they made a late attempt to sign Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata, while there was also interest in Reims striker Hugo Ekitike, Lille’s Jonathan David, Blackburn Rovers’ Ben Brereton Diaz, and New York City’s Valentin Castellanos.

No striker arrived, while the Irons were also said to be interested in a variety of centre-backs, including Burnley’s James Tarkowski and Liverpool’s Nat Phillips.

Again, neither turned up, and West Ham are currently fifth in the Premier League table, one point behind Manchester United in fourth.

However, David Moyes’ side have played one more game than United, while both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, in fifth and sixth respectively, have games in hand on the Hammers too.

Following the conclusion of the January window, Rice has been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Manchester City for a £100m fee after their lack of transfer activity, and Crook believes that he is “frustrated” by the fact that the Irons are slipping out of top four contention.

He told GiveMeSport: “I think he’s a bit frustrated that West Ham dropped points that would have put them closer to the top four.