Patrice Evra thinks Arsenal supporters “will kill” Declan Rice if the current West Ham United star struggles after completing a move to the Emirates.
Rice is likely to leave West Ham this summer following their slump this season. They have recently been challenging for a place in Europe but they are in the middle of a relegation battle at the moment.
The midfielder is expected to move on this summer, with Arsenal and Chelsea among the clubs interested in him.
Prior to this season, Rice has been considered to be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League as he has come on leaps and bounds as a West Ham player.
The Englishman is under contract until 2024 but it is understood that West Ham have the option to extend his deal until 2025. They are therefore under no pressure to sell and can realistically demand what they want for him.
Evra is worried that “many fans” will “kill” Rice if he is sold for around £100m this summer.
“Declan Rice, we say he’s the future, as soon as you hit £100m, many fans will kill him,” Evra said via Rio Ferdinand’s Vibe with Five podcast.
When asked if Rice is good enough to play for someone like Arsenal, Evra added: “He can (play for a top club) if he has the right manager and the right players around him.
“He’s not a leader, he’s not ready in the way people in the media talk about him. I played with him. He’s not ready but he’s going in the right direction.”
This is while Glen Johnson has argued that we are not seeing the best from Rice at the moment as he is “trying to be a jack of all trades” to help West Ham get out of trouble.
“If he plays for a top team and has a role, whether that’s you want him to score goals and play the role of a box-to-box midfielder, or you want him to sit there and protect your back four, once he holds that position down then you will see the true value of the player,” Johnson told Betfred.
“Right now at West Ham, Declan’s trying to be a jack of all trades and rightly so as he’s trying to do his best for the team. He’s trying to make tackles, he’s trying to score goals and he’s trying to protect the back four. You can’t do it all.
“If you’re valued by your club at £150 million, then you need to be the best player in your position but Declan can’t justify that value at the moment because he’s trying to do everything.”
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