West Ham defender Aaron Cresswell has claimed that teammate Declan Rice would improve further if he left the club to play with better players.

Cresswell explained that he doesn’t want the England international to leave the club but the reality is Rice would be able to achieve his potential if he plays next to top-quality players.

He said (h/t talksport): “He’s close to 100 Premier League games already, and I’m not just saying that because he’s a West Ham player and a good mate of mine, but I really do believe he’s one of the top talents in the country.

“I wouldn’t like to see him leave, but if he were to ever leave he would become another level with better players around him.

“He’s come in at centre-back over the last couple of games due to injuries we’ve had and he can play either. It’s a great option he’s got but in terms of ability-wise, he’s a fantastic player.”

Rice has been linked with Chelsea recently and it will be interesting to see where he ends up this summer.

The 21-year-old is a quality player with a big future ahead of him. If West Ham cannot improve and challenge for trophies, it would be better for Rice to move on.

He has shown that he has the quality to play for better teams. Perhaps a step up in his career would be ideal right now.

At a club like Chelsea, he will be able to learn from world-class players like Kante. He would also be playing at a high level and the Blues can offer him European football.

West Ham are clearly quite far off that level.

Some of the West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to share their thoughts on Cresswell’s remarks. Although his comments are honest and true, it is understandable why the fans are frustrated.

Here are some of the tweets.

He’s not wrong is he Doesn’t bother me really, any player in the world is better with better player around them. He’s just stated the obvious