Nuno may have West Ham’s new Declan Rice in “effortlessly” brilliant gem

When it comes to truly brilliant players who have represented West Ham United over the last decade or so, the same names will tend to pop up.

Jarrod Bowen is undoubtedly a club legend for his Conference League-winning goal and loyalty, and while Dimitri Payet might have left on poor terms, he was utterly incredible for that year and a bit.

Finally, while he did leave to join another London side, it’s also impossible not to include Declan Rice in this conversation, as he developed from an academy gem into a world-class midfielder at the London Stadium.

The Hammers haven’t been able to replace the Englishman just yet, but Nuno Espírito Santo might have a player who could get close in his current squad.

West Ham’s potential Rice heirs

The youngest West Ham gem who could potentially develop into a new Rice-type player for Nuno in the coming years is academy gem Preston Fearon.

The 18-year-old has been making waves in the junior sides for some time now, and was even given his first taste of senior football during pre-season, when he made a cameo in the game against Manchester United, after which Bowen described him as a “special player.”

While he has played in various positions on the pitch during his time in the academy, the exciting prospect is at his best when he plays in central or defensive midfield.

His final similarity to the former Irons captain is his ability to chip in with a goal or assist, as even though he spends much of his time in deeper positions, he has scored three goals and provided seven assists in 39 appearances.

Moving on to an older academy graduate now, and Freddie Potts could eventually become the club’s new Rice.

Like Fearon, the 22-year-old started his footballing career with the East Londoners, joining them at the age of six and making his way through the junior sides before making his debut in late 2021 and then going out on a couple of loans to Wycombe Wanderers and Portsmouth.

The Barking-born ace is another player who can play in central and defensive midfield, and also has some experience at centre-back, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he lacks technical quality.

For example, respected analyst Ben Mattinson highlights his “ball-security, passing range and powerful carrying” as strong points, noting that he is “so smooth on the half-turn and composed under pressure.”

However, while either Potts or Fearon could become West Ham’s future Rice, there is another promising midfielder who could lay claim to that title.

West Ham’s potential new Rice

Signed in the summer from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco for a fee of around £17.3m, Nuno could help transform Soungoutou Magassa into West Ham’s new Rice in the coming seasons.

The key reason for this is that, despite having a somewhat mixed start to life in East London, the young Frenchman seems to exhibit the skills necessary to follow in the Englishman’s footsteps: defensive nous and an ability to get the ball forward with purpose.

Mattinson also believes the 22-year-old can fulfil both roles, highlighting his ability to “spray passes wide out to the wings” but also making it clear that “defensively there’s a high potential” in the youngster.

Both sides of the Stains-born gem’s game can be seen in his underlying numbers.

For example, when it comes to the defensive side of things, FBref ranks him in the top 2% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for dribblers tackled and blocks, the top 3% for ball recoveries, and the top 4% for tackles plus interceptions, all per 90.

And then on the other hand, he still ranks in the top 8% for switches, the top 11% for through balls and the top 15% for successful take-on percentage, also per 90.

This combination of a tenacious ball winner and top-notch passing range could be game-changing for the Hamemers this season.

With Bowen on the right and the duo of Crysencio Summerville and El Hadji Malick Diouf on the left, getting the ball out wide as soon as possible could be crucial for quick counter-attacks.

Ultimately, while it might take some time, West Ham’s new “effortlessly” brilliant Magassa, as dubbed by Mattinson, could become Nuno’s own Rice.