Sky Sports journalist Kaveh Solhekol has featured on their latest Pitch to Post podcast to discuss all things West Ham ahead of their Premier League game on Saturday.
The Hammers currently sit in fourth place of the Premier League table with just seven games remaining of the 2020/21 campaign.
One of the talking points on the podcast was the future of Declan Rice amid rumours linking him with a potential move away from the London Stadium this summer.
Will Declan Rice leave West Ham this summer?
Yes
No
The 22-year-old has played a huge part in the success of West Ham so far this season, having played every single minute of the Premier League campaign up until his recent injury issue.
However, despite the reported interest in the youngster, Solhekol provided his thoughts on the future of West Ham’s star man.
He said: “If West Ham can offer him that at a new stadium that’s packed and he is somebody who’s going to be the West Ham captain in the future as well, then does he really needs to leave West Ham? I’m not so sure.
“Especially when you consider the finance situation in the game at the moment. I can’t see who could afford to sign Declan Rice. And whenever David Moyes has been asked about this, I know it upsets some people, some West Ham fans, because he does actually talk about what it would take to sign Declan Rice.
“I think he said in the past few times, it would be ‘Bank of England’ money. And people think. ‘Oh, he shouldn’t talk about it at all because he’s sort of inviting interest in Declan Rice.
“But you know, I think David Moyes is just being honest. It would take £100m to sign Declan Rice. And I don’t think anybody has got that kind of money to spend, certainly on a midfielder this summer.”
TIF Thoughts on Solhekol’s comments…
Rice has been rumoured with a summer switch, however, as Solhekol suggests, which clubs would be able to afford the type of money which the Hammers would be happy to accept for the midfielder?
The pandemic has had a huge effect on the finances of football clubs and given David Moyes has said it would take a spectacular sum of money for Rice to depart the London Stadium, Solhekol’s comments may well be the case.
Given West Ham’s current position in the league table, you could also question whether Rice would even want to leave the east Londoners this summer.
In other news: ‘From what I’ve heard’, ‘That is true’ – Journalist reveals big West Ham transfer news