Presenter ExWHUemployee has expressed his fear that a recent transfer could lead to West Ham United selling Declan Rice.
It has widely been reported that Real Madrid have now agreed to sign ‘sought-after’ midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni from Monaco for a fee reported to be in the region of €100m (£85m).
The Spanish club supposedly had to fight off interest from Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. This could mean those top Premier League clubs will now have to look elsewhere for a midfielder if they want a new signing this summer.
When talking about the Tchouameni move on The Transfer Show podcast, Ex outlined how this could cause some clubs to now come in for Rice over the coming months.
He explained: “The worrying thing is, if he [Tchouameni] does join Real Madrid, that’s the player that other clubs like Chelsea, as I say, were looking at as an alternative to Declan.
“Though if that alternative to Declan has been sold – because people actually thought he might come as a bit cheaper than Declan – if that alternative has now gone, that means that Declan is the one left. So I really pray that West Ham are going to keep hold of Declan for another season.”
Will Declan Rice be at West Ham next season?
Yes
No
TIF Thoughts on Declan Rice and West Ham…
According to an April report in The Athletic, Rice is not up for sale, and David Moyes would only consider bids if they come in at a minimum of £150m.
With that in mind, it’s clear to see why Ex claims that the clubs interested in Tchouameni saw the Frenchman as a cheaper alternative. But if that option is now off the table, the West Ham man may well be next on the agenda – even if he might cost a little more than any of those clubs had intended on spending this summer.
Despite his high price, plenty of talk remains over a possible move, with Chelsea among the supposed frontrunners for his signature.
Top teams will always look to improve their squads. However, with Tchouameni’s move to Real Madrid looking certain, one highly rated midfielder has now been taken off the market. It’s no wonder Ex is so worried about Rice’s future.