West Ham United are prepared to cash in on Declan Rice for a fee of £90 million amid Chelsea, Manchester United links.
A recent report from Football Insider has offered a positive update on Manchester United and Chelsea’s pursuit of Declan Rice. The two Premier League have been courting the West Ham midfielder for years now, but they haven’t had much luck securing a breakthrough.
However, Rice’s long-term future is under severe doubt at the moment, with the club slowly preparing for life without their prized midfield asset. In fact, West Ham could be ready to cash in on the Englishman next summer, for a fee of just £90 million, which is slightly lower than his previously presumed asking fee of £100 million.
The fact that Rice’s long-term future at West Ham appears vulnerable could be a major boost for the interested parties, as the player had been quite adamant regarding his commitment to the club. But that is fading away as the young midfielder looks to boost his profile by moving to a bigger club and cement his position in the England side that will compete in the 2022 FIFA World Cup next year.
Chelsea, in particular, have been one of the frontrunners in the race to sign the 22-year-old. Being a native of London, the player himself is believed to be a huge admirer of the Blues, whose recent success under Thomas Tuchel does give them the sporting edge over Manchester United, should a potential transfer duel ensue next summer.
The Red Devils are no slouch, however, and have created quite a clout for themselves after bagging the likes of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane in the summer transfer window, as well as sanctioning the sensational return of prodigal son Cristiano Ronaldo.
Perhaps more importantly, the club can offer Rice more first-team prospects as they have been crying out for a quality defensive midfielder for quite some time now. The fans had already raised quite an issue over the lack of quality in the midfield combination of Fred and Scott McTominay, the club failed to sanction a move for any defensive midfielder during the summer transfer window.
But that could soon change, with the Red Devils now reportedly involved in the market for a new number six. They have been linked with a move for Youri Tielemans, but Rice represents homegrown quality and arguably offers better scope for the future.
