West Ham Rice Replacements
West Ham Rice Replacements
West Ham will be looking to make a swift return to the Premier League at the first time of asking this season, and the Hammers are on their way in their push for promotion.
Both Nuno Espirito Santo and the West Ham players had to deal with the weight of expectation from pundits, fans, and probably themselves heading into this year's Championship campaign.
They're second in the table heading into the weekend though, and will take confidence from beating league-leaders Swansea City last time out.
That win saw the Hammers move to within one point of the Swans, and if they can continue to build on some strong performances, then they'll stand every chance of finishing top of pile.
It'll be an interesting summer ahead at the London Stadium, and potential reinforcements could be useful heading into the busy periods of the 2026/27 season, where squad depth will be key.
One player that made a huge impact in his time with West Ham was Declan Rice, who made 245 appearances in total, before making the move across London to Arsenal in July 2023.
He's gone on to feature regularly for both Arsenal and the England senior team, and is a tough player to replace for the Hammers. We'll take a look at six midfielders that West Ham could target heading into future transfer windows which fit a similar style to that of Declan Rice.
Sydie Peck
Sydie Peck, Sheffield United
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Sydie Peck is a player that is one of the best fits as a potential Declan Rice 2.0. The midfielder is already capped for the England Under-21s side, and is currently playing his football for Championship side, Sheffield United.
He started out as a youngster with Arsenal, before making the move to Bramall Lane in 2021, where he's gone from strength to strength with the Blades.
He's contracted with Sheffield United until the summer of 2028, and if Sheffield United continue to struggle to find consistency in their results, Peck could be tempted by a move elsewhere.
Peck attracted transfer interest from West Ham over the summer, and it'll be interesting to see whether the Hammers reignite that interest in the near future.
Dário Essugo
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Essugo might not be the most well-known name to feature on this list, but he's a player that can make an impact now, as well as having his best years still ahead of him.
He came through the ranks with Portuguese giants, Sporting Lisbon, but moved to Chelsea in 2025, which is where he's currently contracted to. However, Essugo is currently on loan with French side, Strasbourg, where he's been a regular for them in this year's Ligue 1 campaign.
Any potential agreement for the midfielder is likely to be a loan deal, as you would imagine that Chelsea won't be wanting to cash-in on him anytime soon. Promotion into the Premier League is what will need to be required from West Ham's point of view, as Essugo is too good of a player to be dropping into the second-tier of English football.
Jorthy Mokio
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Mokio is with Dutch giants, Ajax, and having only made the move their in 2024, you'd imagine that it would have to be a hefty offer to prize him away from there.
The 18-year-old has shown maturity and discipline in the early stages of his senior career, and will be keen to test himself at the highest possible level.
He can operate as both a centre-back or as a central defensive midfielder, which is similar to what Rice can do when required. With Mokio's current deal with Ajax running until 2031, they'd simply have to be in England's top-flight to get anywhere near an agreement.
Who would be your ideal Declan Rice 2.0 for West Ham moving forward? Let us know in the comments!
Ollie Arblaster
Oli Arblaster
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Arblaster is the second Sheffield United player to make the cut in this list, and he's a player that could potentially have a higher ceiling to that of his Blades team-mate, Sydie Peck.
Arblaster has only recently returned from a 13-month injury lay-off, and so there are some risks attached to any potential agreement that can be made to land his signature at West Ham.
He's a player with a bright future ahead of him. If the early stages of his senior career are anything to go by, then he could be a shrewd addition to Nuno Espirito Santo's squad.
The 22-year-old has also captained his boyhood club in the past, similar to what we saw from Declan Rice, and he could be worth the gamble for a club of West Ham's stature.
Club Appearances Goals Assists
Bradford Park Avenue 5 0 0
Port Vale 26 2 2
Sheffield United 63 3 2
André
Andre
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André had plenty of raving reviews when he first signed for Wolves back in 2024, but his time with the Championship side hasn't gone as well as he would have originally hoped for.
The Brazilian signed a new contract until the summer of 2030 a few months back, but it would be interesting to see whether he'd be tempted by a move elsewhere, particularly if Wolves were to miss out on promotion this season.
He's capped at senior level for the Brazil national team, and is more than good enough to be playing in the top-flight, and so an intriguing few months are ahead in the second-tier of English football to see whether Wolves can win promotion or not.
Vincent Tan and Mark Attanasio
Vincent Tan and Mark Attanasio
Ilia Gruev
Leeds United's Ilia Gruev
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Gruev's contract with Leeds United is set to expire in the summer of 2027, and so it'll be intriguing to know whether he features in Leeds' plans for the future.
The central midfielder played a key role for the Yorkshire-based side that won promotion back into the Premier League in the 2024/25 season, which was a memorable one for the Elland Road faithful.
He broke up play expertly well in the defensive midfield role, which is a similar style of play that Declan Rice operated whilst with West Ham.
He's quite far down the pecking order in Daniel Farke's plans at the moment, and he could be worth a punt for West Ham in the January transfer window, as Gruev will be chasing regular minutes.