Rice will be on the move. Arsenal has made a number of offers, and West Ham chairman David Sullivan has announced the captain would be departing. West Ham will be searching for a top-notch replacement with the possibility of playing in the Europa League and Rice receiving up to £100 million in bids. Here are ten midfielders who may be a good fit.
Here is the list who can inherit his place in the club-
Tom Krauss
Krauss, a midfielder for RB Leipzig, might leave this summer. The 21-year-old, despite Schalke’s relegation, shown his skills while on loan there. He is capable of performing at a high level in a variety of positions, but this season he excelled in a deeper midfield position. Krauss and Jonas Hector of Köln tied for the most tackles made during the Bundesliga season, with 112 apiece. He also has a plenty of room to grow as a player.
Tyler Adams
As a result of their demotion from the Premier League, a number of Leeds midfielders could be searching for a new team this summer. Given that right-back Vladimir Coufal is already in his 30s, the ambidextrous Adams, who has played on both the right side of defence and midfield, might prove to be a wise addition for West Ham. This season, Adams played the most of his football in the centre of the park and did well. Adams was essential in midfield when he played despite missing the final 12 games of the season due to injury, which was a big loss for Leeds since they only managed to win two of those games.Only three other players in the league outperformed his return of 89 tackles while only making 24 games. He also had a high 75.4% tackle success rate.
Wilfred Ndidi
Ndidi may potentially be moving after Leicester was demoted. The Nigerian international has had recent difficulties after being connected with some elite clubs a few years ago. Nevertheless, he might be a good addition given his over 200 Premier League matches and experience in both the Champions League and Europa League. In the 2022–23 Premier League season, the 26-year-old made just 19 appearances, but his impact was seen, as evidenced by his 3.3 tackles and 2 interceptions per 90 minutes, along with an 84% pass success rate. He might be a dedicated acquisition for the Hammers if he can regain his former form in a new side.
Matteo Guendouzi
Guendouzi, a midfielder for Marseille, spent time with Arsenal before joining the Premier League. The France international was frequently used in a new offensive midfield position for Marseille throughout the season, which prompted to rumours that he would be traded this summer. Aston Villa was reportedly interested. Even if Guendouzi was occasionally rash during his previous stint in London, he has grown and would inject vigour and intensity into the midfield. He strives arduously to get the ball back; in Ligue 1 in 2022–2023, he accomplished this feat 74 times. In Ligue 1, he had a tackle effectiveness rate of 61.9% and was only out-dribbled 24 times, demonstrating his eye for a tackle as well as his stability in midfield.
João Palhinha
The Fulham midfielder, who moved to England from Sporting last summer, had a very strong debut season. He would be the perfect Rice substitute because of his capacity for gaining possession and safeguarding the back four. With Moises Caicedo (100) being the only other player to reach three digits, Palhinha made 147 tackles in the Premier League this season, at least 47 more than any other player in the competition. Palhinha has one of the top tackle success rates in the league at 70%. The only problem could be discipline; the Portugal international missed three games due to suspension after committing 48 fouls and receiving 14 more yellow cards than any other player in the league.
James Ward-Prowse
This summer, a lot of Southampton players will move on. The West Ham squad’s captain Ward-Prowse may even be offered for a reasonable price, freeing up some of the Rice transfer money for other positions. The midfielder’s set pieces are what make him most famous. Only David Beckham has recorded more (18) free-kick goals in the Premier League than he did with his last strike. In the league in 2022–23, only Kieran Trippier (70) produced more chances for goals from set pieces than Ward–Prowse (40). Although he may not be as well renowned for his defensive skills, Rice (63), who had the most interceptions, was the only player to make more with 55. Additionally, he contributed four assists and nine goals for a Southamptom.
Youssouf Fofana
The footballer from Monaco and France had a strong campaign. After receiving his first cap in September, Fofana travelled to Qatar and featured in all but one of France’s games as they advanced to the World Cup final. He also played for Monaco in Europe. The 24-year-old was one of only eight Ligue 1 players this year to gain possession 265 times or more. In addition to being a ballwinner, Rice also had 46 successful dribbles, 32 vital passes, two goals, and two assists. West Ham would benefit from Rice’s skill at moving the ball up the pitch.
Kalvin Phillips
This summer, Rice and Phillips may decide to swap teams. Although Phillips claims he does not want to leave Manchester City after just one season, the fact that his time on the pitch in the Premier League was restricted to just 291 minutes due to injury and the size and calibre of the City team may indicate that he needs a fresh start. Phillips may be revitalised and regain the form he shown when at Leeds if he played every week. He would be able to maintain his spot on the England team as a result.
Edson Álvarez
Alvarez could be tempted to go to London this year after coming close to signing with Chelsea last summer. Even though Borussia Dortmund is also interested in the Ajax star, they appear to be the favourites to recruit him now that Jude Bellingham has officially joined Real Madrid. Rice and lvarez are comparable players. He played for a club that had the greatest possession percentage (66.7%) in the Eredivisie, but still managed to record a remarkable 2.3 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game on the year. Lvarez had an 88.9% pass completion percentage this year and completed 238 successful long passes from his very own half to the opposing half, which would fit West Ham’s counterattacking style.
