Liverpool watching England star at World Cup before possible bid

England got their World Cup campaign off to the perfect start on Monday as they thrashed Iran 6-2 in a thrilling encounter. 

Gareth Southgate’s side went into the interval with a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling.

Saka scored again in the second half, with substitutes Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish also getting on the scoresheet for The Three Lions.

Southgate’s side now sit in a commanding position at the top of Group B, with Wales and USA having played out a 1-1 draw in the group’s other match.

Declan Rice was once again impressive for England in the heart of midfield, and it appears that he may now be auditioning for a big move.

According to Football Insider, Liverpool will be watching Rice’s performances at the World Cup as they look for a marquee midfield signing next summer.

Rice has been heavily linked with a move away from current club West ham United in recent months, with Chelsea another side credited with an interest in the player.

Rice has attracted interest from both Liverpool and Chelsea

The Reds have also been linked with Rice’s England teammate Jude Bellingham, however the former could potentially be a more realistic signing next summer as Bellingham is likely to have several teams chasing him.

Rice, 23, has established himself as one of the Premier League’s most impressive midfielders over the past few seasons, making more than 200 appearances for The Hammers since his debut in 2017.

It is also suggested that Liverpool will assess how Rice copes with the pressure of playing in such a significant fixture, with the midfielder having not yet played in the Champions League.

Jurgen Klopp is said to be a ‘huge admirer’ of the player and is confident that he would fit well into his side.

Chelsea were previously quoted a reported £100 million for Rice, before manager David Moyes later claimed that the price had increased to £150 million.

Rice is currently contracted to West Ham until the summer of 2024, but the club do have the option to extend his stay by a further 12 months.

The Hammers could choose to sell the midfielder next summer, though, before his value begins to drop as he nears the expiry of his current deal.

Chelsea stars Jorginho and N’Golo Kante are both set to be out of contract next summer, which means The Blues are likely to once again be in the market for a central midfielder.