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West Ham have made one final attempt to secure Declan Rice down to a new contract with an improved offer, according to The Telegraph.

What's the word?

Rising through the ranks in East London and propelling himself into the first-team last term, Declan Rice has swiftly become a key player for West Ham but a huge saga has emerged surrounding the future of the 19-year-old.

The Republic of Ireland international has attracted plenty of interest in his services for fine performances, which include the recent victory over Everton and the draw with Chelsea, and the Hammers face a stern test to retain his services.

West Ham have thus far been unable to secure the teenager down to a new deal but The Telegraph states the Hammers have made a final offer to the versatile player, while it is added that his current deal does not expire at the end of the season despite claims to the contrary.

What's the deal?

While the specific figures of the new and improved offer to Declan Rice are not stated, the report does break down the details of the deal that Rice rejected this week and it could have been worth a whopping £40k-a-week.

The widely-reported salary of £15k-a-week was just the basic rate in the deal, with the wage rising to £20k-a-week after 15 Premier League starts and a further £5k-a-week being added every time the youngster reached that figure.

On top of that, it's stated that Rice would have been handed a further £20k bonus for every Premier League start and that means he could have been earning £40k-a-week by the end of the season. However, Rice's camp are seeking a higher basic wage.

Will he sign?

That all depends on whether West Ham are willing to listen to his demands but they should do given how important Rice has become in the past year, plus the fact that the bonuses they were offering equate to a reasonable offer anyway.

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Rice is certainly within his rights to push for a better basic pay rather than to be rewarded for his starts as he has already broken into the team, although he needs to be careful that the situation does not get twisted against him.

The best course of action for the teenager is to get his head down and focus on his football, let his performances do the talking and let the gritty details of his contract renewal be handled behind the scenes and away from the press.