West Ham United Are Preparing To Sell Declan Rice If A £100m Offer Arrives
West Ham United are prepared to sell midfielder Declan Rice this summer if a £100 million offer comes in.
It has been widely speculated across the season that this summer will be the year the Englishman leaves the London club.
He has attracted interest from some of the top clubs in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons.
Chelsea, his former club, are said to be up there at the top of the race with Liverpool, Arsenal and Man United also involved.
While the Hammers have struggled for form this season, they do find themselves in the latter stages of the Europa Conference League.
Winning the competition will see them automatically qualify for the Europa League which could have a major say on Rice’s asking price.
According to The Daily Mail, West Ham are ‘resigned to losing’ the midfielder during the next transfer window if an offer arrives.
At the start of the season, he was confirmed as the club’s permanent captain following the retirement of Mark Noble.
The 24-year-old agreed to stay at the club for one more season to help lead the team after an important figure left the club.
With a contract lasting until 2024, it now seems very likely that he will be sold if the asking price is met. However, there is a one year extension clause included in the contract, bringing the date to June 2025 if need be.
The midfielder wants to compete at the highest level and win some of the biggest trophies in football.
He has previously revealed that he wants to play in the Champions League with Arsenal being the current favourites to sign him.
His former club Chelsea will not compete in any European competition next season and could be forced to wait to resign him. United are just about in the top four with a game in hand over teams below them but if they drop further in the table, they will not qualify for the Champions League.
Martin Keown, a football pundit and former defender for Arsenal has claimed that Rice will be too expensive for two clubs involved in the transfer battle. He believes that his former club and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool will not be able to afford him this summer.
Appearing on talkSPORT, Keown said ‘‘I think Declan Rice is going to be too expensive for Arsenal, quite frankly.’
‘I think he will be too expensive for Liverpool as well who have been in the Champions League now for a number of years. ‘
‘He’s a player Arsenal will like but not with those costs involved, I think it’s too much. Looking at Arsenal’s business, I don’t think it’s a route they will go down.’
‘I don’t think they’ve got the money, even though the Champions League will bring some more revenue. I don’t see him as a player Arsenal can afford to buy.’
United will no doubt want to have their say in the race, as the club has been interested in him for a couple of years now. Erik ten Hag is still looking for that versatile midfielder who can compete in the current squad.
