West Ham United podcaster ‘Gonzo’ has given his thoughts on Declan Rice and his future at the club following his performances at this summer’s European Championship.
Rice played in every game during the tournament, acting as a shield for a team that only conceded two goals during the competition as he finished in the top two in both interceptions & tackles averaged per game for Gareth Southgate’s men, racking up a WhoScored rating of 6.82 along the way.
The 22-year-old has long been a target for some of the country’s bigger clubs, and his performances this summer certainly wouldn’t have done anything to hurt his reputation as a player. Speaking about Rice on Hammers Chat, Gonzo discussed what those performances might do for his asking price and the impact that would have on a potential exit from the club:
“I think in one sense, it’s insulated us in terms of that cost from the prospect of selling Declan Rice, because now I do think we can puff our chests out a little bit more and say ‘no, he is worth £100m.’
“The only problem is with that, is I do wonder if now, clubs are looking – and not just the clubs that we’ve mentioned, not just the English clubs, if other clubs are looking – and thinking, ‘he’s worth £100m.’
“Now, is that going to make them more likely to spend it? Yes. Is it going to make it more likely for more clubs to come in for him? Yes, and in which case, the net result of that is that there might be a bit of an auction, which we don’t really want, well, not as West Ham fans, anyway.”
TIF Thoughts on Gonzo’s comments about Declan Rice at West Ham United…
Do you think West Ham would accept £100m for Declan Rice?
Yes
No
A bidding war is probably the best thing that could happen for West Ham United. Recent reports have suggested that Rice is looking to move away from the club having rejected two contract offers from the Hammers, so at this stage, it looks as if his future will be lying elsewhere.
All that West Ham United can hope to do now is get as much back for him as they can, and hope that they can use the money to bring in either a number of replacements to fill out the rest of the squad or perhaps that one high-profile signing to take Rice’s place.
Either way, this summer might not only help Rice by increasing the number of potential suitors, as Gonzo hinted at, but could also offer West Ham a little boost as well.
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