West Ham United chairman David Sullivan has confirmed that Declan Rice will leave West Ham United this summer.
In an interview with talkSPORT, as relayed by ESPN, David Sullivan has confirmed the inevitable. The West Ham United chairman has revealed that the Hammers offered a deal worth £200,000 per week to Declan Rice. But the English international, a target for Arsenal and Liverpool, will depart from the London Stadium in the summer transfer window.
Declan Rice has seen his stock skyrocket since joining West Ham United from Chelsea several years ago. The 24-year-old has been a regular for the East London club for over half a decade. And he is now a pivotal figure for his club and country. Meanwhile, he has become the West Ham captain following Mark Noble’s retirement.
The English international has turned out nearly 250 times for West Ham, chipping in with 15 goals and 13 assists. But Rice will leave the East London club this summer amid interest from Arsenal and Liverpool, among others, with the Hammers demanding £100 million to sell him. And West Ham chairman David Sullivan has now confirmed the inevitable.
Replying to a question on the UEFA Europa Conference League final being Rice’s last game, he said, “I think it has to be. We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. You can’t ask for a man who has committed more to us this season.”
West Ham chairman Sullivan: “We have promised Declan Rice he could go. He set his heart on going”. 🚨⚪️ #Rice
“He rejected our £200,000-a-week bid 18 months ago — I think offers will start to come today”.
“There are three or four clubs who have shown interest”, told Talk Sport. pic.twitter.com/cJ99pAQ2YF
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 8, 2023
“In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement, or several replacements. It’s not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down. It’s cost him £10 million to stay at West Ham in that time. And he wants to go. You can’t keep a player who doesn’t want to be there.”
Rice has been on Arsenal’s radar for a long time. And widespread reports have claimed that the Gunners lead the race to sign the West Ham captain. But Arsenal might not pay £100 million to sign the 24-year-old. And they will instead look to offer a sum slightly lower than the asking price.
The same goes for Liverpool, with the Reds in the market for multiple midfielders. So they cannot afford to pay £100 million to sign the English international. Nonetheless, Rice is a viable target for Liverpool heading into the summer transfer window.
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Rice will be delighted by winning the UEFA Europa Conference League with his final game for West Ham. And with David Sullivan confirming the player’s impending exit, it will be interesting to see where he will ply his trade next season.
