Report: Spurs could have signed West Ham star as a teenager eight years ago

The Athletic have revealed that Tottenham Hotspur tried to sign Declan Rice back in 2014 after he had been released by Chelsea.

Rice has matured impressively since breaking into West Ham’s staring as a teenager back in 2017. The 22-year-old is now recognised as one of the best in the Premier League in his position and also become a vital member of Gareth Southgate’s England team.

The Hammers star has been linked with moves to the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea recently, with David Moyes insisting he is now worth more than £100m.

If The Athletic are to be believed, Spurs could have signed Rice for free back in 2014. The report reveals that Tottenham and Fulham both tried to sign the midfielder when he was released from the Chelsea academy.

However, it is explained that Dave Hunt, who was West Ham’s head of academy recruitment at the time, convinced Rice to join the East London club’s academy by convincing the youngster’s parents that it would be the right next step for his development.

Spurs Web Opinion

Rice is probably not the only talent that Spurs missed out on as a youngster given that all of the clubs from the capital try their best to secure the best young talents from the London region.

We have seen an increasing number of top young players emerging from the area over recent years and the importance of identifying top young talent has thus become even more crucial.

What makes the job difficult is the fact that not all players mature at the same age. The fact that Chelsea released Rice suggests that he was not pulling up any trees as a teenager at Stamford Bridge.

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