West Ham United author Daniel Hurley is sure Declan Rice will leave the club in the near future – but the World Cup has added another £10-20m to his price tag.
Rice started all five of England’s World Cup games as his reliable performances in front of the defence helped the Three Lions reach the quarter-finals.
The 23-year-old has made himself irreplaceable in Gareth Southgate’s side as he racked up his 39th England cap just three years after making his debut.
West Ham’s skipper has continuously been linked with a move away to an elite Premier League side, but so far, the Hammers’ asking price has warned off any potential suitors.
Whilst it seems inevitable that Rice will leave east London, Hurley claimed on The West Ham Way’s Patreon page that his performance on the world stage will have increased his value for when they cash in on their captain.
He said: “World-class against France. World-class through the tournament. World-class, full stop.
“He’s leaving, we all know he is, (and we knew it before that interview which I’ll cover in a bit), but this World Cup has probably made us an additional £10m-£20m when we cash in on the midfielder, who I personally now see as the best player I’ve seen wear our colours in my lifetime.”
TIF Thoughts on Hurley’s comments…
The World Cup could well have an effect on the Hammers’ future outgoings. Indeed, the future of Nikola Vlasic – who reached the semis with Croatia – looks sure to be away from the London Stadium amid reports that Torino will sign him permanently
We feel Rice is undoubtedly West Ham’s most important player and that his performances on the world stage, along with his Premier League displays, are certainly bringing him into the world-class bracket.
While the midfielder previously had a £100m price tag slapped on him with interest from both Manchester clubs according to the Daily Mail, a deal never happened in the summer and Rice stayed put, with United and City feeling the valuation was too high as they secured alternative targets.
When next summer rolls around again, a host of clubs will surely reappear for the 23-year-old and the Irons will have a strong bargaining position thanks to his performances in Qatar, but with his contract coming to an end in 2024, that could become weaker if they don’t cash in soon.