West Ham midfielder Declan Rice is not interested in moving to Manchester United as he believes the timing is not right for him to leave the Hammers.

However, the 20-year-old thinks he does have the quality to play for the Red Devils, and he is not completely ruling out a move if the opportunity arises at some point in the future:

“But it’s all about the timing and I don’t think the timing is right for me at all. I’ve still got so much to learn. I’m loving it at West Ham, the connection between me and the supporters is special. I’ve become one of the fans’ favourites and the manager likes me. It’s the best place for me to play my football.”

Rice signed a five and half year contract in December last year so Irons fans should not be too concerned about the midfielder leaving anytime soon. He says he is planning to stay for many more years:

“I’ve signed a contract here for the next few years and I’m looking forward to playing this season and the season beyond, so we’ll just see where it goes. To be called a West Ham legend in the future, maybe, would be a real honour.”

The England international has only really begun to establish himself as a first-team player over the past year, and there is a great deal of room for improvement in his game.

Even if United came in with an offer for the Rice next year, West Ham would likely demand a huge transfer fee for one of their key players. Considering they saw off the Manchester club’s interest in Issa Diop earlier this summer, they could do the same with Rice.