According to a report from Manchester Evening News, it was stated that West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is being valued in the excess of £120 million for the Hammers to sanction his exit in the summer. It was also mentioned that David Moyes has previously insisted that it would take more than £150 million for the England international to be sold by the East London outfit.
Rice’s Decent Campaign With West Ham United
Rice had struggled at the start of this campaign but has returned to form after producing some influential displays in the central areas for the Hammers following his impressive run with England in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He has only found the back of the net once and picked up three assists over 27 appearances for the Hammers this season in various competitions. However, the West Ham Captain deserves a lot of credit for anchoring the holding midfield positions and having a solid presence in the central areas.
The English sensation has been more than reliable in the middle of the park averaging 2.3 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 1.3 clearances, 1.2 shots and 1.2 key passes per game in the Premier League. He has even been accurate when distributing possession to his teammates after completing 89.2% of his attempted passes in the English first division (stats via whoscored).
Rice’s contract is set to expire in the summer of 2024, so he will be entering the final year of his current deal at the end of this season which means that West Ham would be in a position whereby they could negotiate for a record transfer fee considering how Chelsea fared in the winter transfer market.
Will A Transfer Take Place In The Summer?
The possibilities of Rice making an exit from the London Stadium are high as he is thought to be a target for Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United in the next transfer window. The Hammers are aware of the heavy interest that he has garnered over the past few months and will not sell him for anything less than a record transfer fee.
With that said, only a few Premier League clubs would splash in an amount in the region of £120 million but with Chelsea spending over £323 million in the winter transfer window, the Premier League giants would be needed to reorganise their budget.
The Gunners and the Red Devils could manage to arrange the funds for a record transfer fee to bring in Declan Rice if they prioritise him in the next window. Although they would fall short of bringing other reinforcements to their club once they go through with this deal. The risks involved in the deal are potentially high as one would wonder if Rice is actually worth the money but the West Ham Captain could turn things in his favour if he fares well at the end of this campaign.
