Arsenal have signed West Ham United star Declan Rice. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Speaking in a press conference, as quoted by Football.London, West Ham boss David Moyes has openly admitted that Declan Rice is not for sale and any club wanting the Englishman will have to shell out a minimum of £150m.
Rice has a contract with the Hammers until 2024 and is yet to pen a new deal with the club. Despite David Moyes’ claims that the English midfielder is not for sale, there is a possibility that the 23-year-old could leave for a bigger club.
In that situation, the Hammers would understand that selling him for a bigger fee would make far more sense rather than seeing his contract out and letting him leave on a free.
West Ham are adamant that they will not sell the talented midfielder for anything below £150million. That would be £50million more than what Manchester City paid to bring Jack Grealish from Aston Villa for a record British transfer fee.
The English midfielder is solid in the holding role, capable of playing in both a single or double pivot. Along with Tomas Soucek, the duo has established a solid partnership in the base of Moyes’ midfield for the past couple of seasons.
Speaking about the possibility of selling the talented midfielder, Moyes was defiant in his reply.
“The first thing to say is that he is not for sale. But if you are interested, well, it will be north of that, because £100 million was cheap last summer, and £150 million just now would be minimum”
There is no doubting Rice’s potential and he is rightfully regarded as one of the best midfield talents in English football today. However, the enormous fee that the Hammers are asking for him could throw off potential suitors.
The fee being quoted may be exorbitant, but there is an emotional connection between the Blues and Rice. While we may have let him leave when he was a kid, he still remains a product of our academy.
Just 23 years old and already having so much pedigree of playing at the highest level, it’s not surprising that there is so much interest in Rice. Many teams would want a quality holding midfielder who can future-proof their squad while also being a homegrown talent.
Despite the plethora of options we have in midfield, signing Rice would surely improve the existing quality in our midfield. More so, his young age will also give us a long-term solution in the middle of the park
Right now, we find ourselves in a bit of a pickle with all the off-field ownership uncertainties and it remains to be seen when the club’s new owners will be announced. Although the price seems far too high, if our potential new owners want to make a statement signing, then Declan Rice would surely be a smart answer.
One thing is clear though. A player of Rice’s quality is not sticking around for too long. We could certainly do with a player of his skillset and at the right price, we should do all in our power to bring the Englishman back home. With Jorginho and N’Golo Kante not getting any younger, it’s not unwise to look for a long-term replacement.
Rice can also play as a makeshift centre-back, which would not be a shabby option to have.
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