Carlton Cole says Declan Rice’s move to Arsenal in the summer annoyed him because he was moving to a rival club.
Rice made 245 appearances for West Ham after making his first-team debut in 2017 and his final game for the club saw him lift West Ham’s first trophy in 43 years after they won the Europa Conference League final.
The 25-year-old has continued his development under the tutelage of Mikel Arteta, playing 2,397 minutes for Arsenal in the Premier League already this season and captained England in the 2-2 draw with Belgium on Tuesday.
During an interview with Football Lives, Carlton Cole said he was happy for Rice, but overall was irritated that he decided to join one of West Ham’s city rivals.
Rice was subject to a reported £90 million bid from Manchester City before Arsenal eventually forked out the £105 million which secured his services, and Cole would have preferred to see Rice join Pep Guardiola’s side.
When asked how Rice’s departure summer made him feel, Cole said: “I was happy for him but at the same time I wasn’t happy that he had gone to Arsenal. I felt he could have gone to Manchester City if he wanted to win things because they’ve got the proof in the pudding.
“But, Rice went to a team who are a work in progress. For me, if you’re going to leave, do not go to a rival club. Of course, West Ham will see Arsenal as rivals, but Arsenal won’t see us as rivals.
“He’s still in London, so that’s where I have a bit of an issue with it overall. I’d rather he was out of sight with City.
“We would have preferred it as West Ham fans if he had gone out of London and filled his boots someplace else. We were actually crossing our fingers that he was going to go to Bayern Munich.
“It was heartbreaking to see him leave, but at the same time he’s such a great lad. I didn’t want to get in the way and start talking bad about him, but I wouldn’t begrudge him going to a club with aspirations for big things. He could be a big part of that build.”
Watch what else Cole had to say HERE:
