Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys believes any team prepared to pay £150m for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice will be “getting a bargain”.

Keys claims that the England international is making huge strides and, although others have criticised what they perceive as an exorbitant valuation, Keys doesn’t believe he has been overpriced at all:

“Declan Rice gets better and better. I’ve no idea where he’ll end up, but whoever buys him will be getting a bargain at £150m.”

As we have said before, this isn’t about Rice’s value on the transfer market; it is about his importance to the Hammers. The 23-year-old plays a critical role in all aspects of the team.

He can control the game in the middle of the pitch with his passing, he can break up play and set up counter-attacks, and his lung-bursting runs on the ball can relieve pressure when his team are under the cosh. When you combine these traits with his leadership qualities, there are not many players in the world like him.

For those reasons, the Irons will demand clubs like Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea meet their price tag or they can decide to look elsewhere.