West Ham United should take Liverpool’s sudden interest in Declan Rice as a sign that the club should do everything they can to keep hold of him.

But that can only happen if they’re able to agree terms with the 19-year-old for an extended stay at the London Stadium.

According to the Express, the Hammers have a massive battle on their hands to keep some of their biggest names in the upcoming transfer window, while next summer could also be crucial if Manuel Pellegrini plans to continue his building phase at the club.

But the article reports that Liverpool have joined the race to secure the services Rice in Jurgen Klopp’s attempt to find the perfect defensive midfielder.  The interest of Liverpool, however, should indicate to the West Ham board just how valuable Rice has become that a title-challenging club like Liverpool have joined Arsenal and Manchester United to offer him a contract.

Being on a reported £3,500-a-week has obviously been a financial temptation to improve on for the Reds, given the consistent performances he has delivered for West Ham. It is believed that Rice rejected a new deal from the club that was worth £20,000-a-week, which, given that consistency he has shown on the pitch, is a bit ridiculous by the club.

West Ham spent more than a £100m in the summer but thought a deal of 20k-a-week would be enough to keep one of their best young players of the season at the club.

What the current negotiations between the two parties are remain unclear, but it would be an embarrassment for the club if they were to lose Rice to one of the three Premier League clubs because they couldn’t agree a reasonable fee for the midfielder.

The fact that these clubs would want to sign him up should have been an immediate trigger for West Ham to offer him what he wants and needs to stay put and form the heart of Pellegrini’s squad.