When Declan Rice admitted in March that he has an ‘urgent’ desire to play Champions League football as soon as possible, even the most optimistic West Ham United supporter must have felt as if they’d just taken a punch in the gut from Tyson Fury.
But does Rice really need to leave his beloved Hammers in order to prove himself on the biggest of stages? Well, maybe not.
Chelsea, the club most frequently linked with the all-action England international, are currently in no position to shell out a huge, potentially club-record sum with their future in the post-Abramovich era very much up in the air.
West Ham are also level on points with another of Rice’s admirers – Manchester United – in the Premier League table. Furthermore, they, unlike Ralf Rangnick’s inconsistent United side, have two potential routes into the promised land of the UCL.
Win the Europa League and they’ll seal a place in the group stages. Man United can only wish they had such a viable back-up plan.
It is not unreasonable, then, to suggest that Rice will still be thundering his way across the London Stadium turf in 2022/23.
The same can be said of Jarrod Bowen. It is no secret that Jurgen Klopp is a huge fan of the in-form winger. He’s admitted as much himself. But, after Liverpool signed Luis Diaz in January, a summer move for Bowen is surely only possible if Mo Salah leaves first.
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It goes without saying that Liverpool would rather not have to replace their talismanic top scorer in the summer.
Rice and Bowen stay
But, assuming Rice and Bowen stay put, who could be joining them at West Ham in time for next season?
A new goalkeeper may be required. Lukasz Fabianski turns 37 in a couple of weeks while Alphonse Areola’s future remains uncertain. West Ham are reportedly looking at Mechelen’s Gaetan Coucke and West Brom’s Sam Johnstone – both of whom will be free agents in the summer. Johnstone, given his proven track record in the Premier League, may be the preferred option.
Incomings and outgoings
Talking of free-agents, Ryan Fredericks’ contract will expire in July. The Hammers have been linked with a host of right-backs and the most exciting is undoubtedly Rasmus Kristensen (BILD). The swashbuckling Scandanavian is available for £10 million and recently admitted that he plans to leave Red Bull Salzburg in the summer.
Kristensen, who has 10 goals and eight assists from right-back this term, could be joined at the back by another jet-heeled defender in Mainz’ Jerry St Juste (Christian Falk).
He, too, is available for a bargain £10 million and has been clocked as the fastest player in the whole of the Bundesliga.
The rest of this very hypothetical XI remains familiar to West Ham supporters – albeit Manuel Lanzini could return to Argentina amid reports of negotiations with River Plate – but with one key difference.
A new number nine
It is no secret that Moyes is crying out for a new centre-forward to ease the crushing burden of expectations on an overworked Michail Antonio. West Ham are tracking Stuttgart’s 6ft 7ins targetman Sasa Kalajdzic again (Kicker). The Austrian recently turned down a contract extension.
But another Bundesliga hitman with admirers at the London Stadium would better suit Moyes’ aggressive, counter-attacking gameplan.
Taiwo Awoniyi, the former Liverpool forward and Union Berlin’s record Bundesliga goalscorer, possesses all of Antonio’s attributes, complete with added youth and efficiency.
According to Goal, West Ham are willing to pay £25 million for Awoniyi.
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