According to talkSPORT, West Ham have offered Declan Rice an eight-year contract worth £200,000-a-week, as they aim to keep him at the London Stadium.
What’s the story?
Well, to the surprise of absolutely nobody, David Moyes wants to keep the England international at West Ham.
The 23-year-old has developed into one of the best midfielders in Europe, and now, the Hammers have recognised that by making a significant offer.
TalkSPORT believe the Irons have offered Rice the chance to become the best paid player in West Ham history with a £200,000-a-week salary on the table.
Speaking live on air, Jim White said: “It is my understanding that West Ham are 99% certain they will not sell. Declan Rice has been offered an eight-year deal at West Ham United worth £200,000-a-week on a rising scale to match inflation. At this stage he is showing no inclinations to sign it.”
However, talkSPORT add that the West Ham No.41 believes he could earn up to £400,000-a-week elsewhere if he opted to leave east London.
That represents a £338,000-a-week increase on his current salary of £62,000-a-week.
If Rice did find someone to pay him that sum, it would make him the second-best paid player in the Premier League alongside Kevin De Bruyne.
As things stand, Cristiano Ronaldo is the Premier League’s highest earner with a salary of £510,000-a-week.
Declan Rice must be wary of angering West Ham
In our view, Rice must be careful amid this delicate situation, as he could quite easily anger the West Ham fanbase.
In fairness, the eight-year contract offer is ridiculous, and few players would commit themselves for that length of time – no matter how much they loved the club.
However, Rice could be accused of being a money-grabber by some supporters if he really is holding out for £400,000-a-week.
As things stand, he is a fan favourite, due to his passionate displays after rising out of the West Ham Academy – he won’t want to tarnish his relationship with fans.
Nevertheless, things can get difficult when a player is pushing to leave, so Rice must play the situation sensibly.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the England international has already rejected three contract offers from West Ham, so he does seem keen to depart.
Keep an eye on this saga, as anything could happen this summer.
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