David Moyes will be desperate to keep Declan Rice at the London Stadium; thankfully, Premier League giants Manchester United reportedly have other plans.
West Ham fans can rest a little easier ahead of the summer transfer window, with Bleacher Report pointing out that Manchester United are not going anywhere near Declan Rice as long as the England international is valued at £70 million.
Before the global health crisis which thrust the global game into a period of unprecedented financial uncertainty, the future of a West Ham academy graduate appeared to be in serious doubt.
21-year-old Rice has been the shining light in another season of underachievement at the London Stadium. And there is a nagging feeling that the defender-turned-midfielder with a superb passing range and excellent positional sense has outgrown the Hammers.
Fortunately for David Moyes and co, however, not even the top Premier League clubs are going to pay £70 million for a defensively-minded midfielder in this market.
Tottenham Hotspur were linked last week via 90Min but reports since then have suggested that Jose Mourinho will be limited to swap deals and bargain buys, with Rice clearly out of their reach (Standard).
Manchester United are unlikely to suffer from similar restrictions (they do not have a space-age new stadium to pay off after all) but it seems that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s top targets are located at the other end of the pitch – namely, Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho.
According to BR, United do not feel Rice is worth anywhere close to £70 million right now. And, if you felt a slight breeze there, that will be the huge sigh of relief omitted from everyone with a claret and blue connection.
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