West Ham anticipate receiving bids for captain Declan Rice in the immediate aftermath of the Europa Conference League final with Fiorentina.
The Hammers will appear in their first major European final for 47 years on Wednesday looking to win their first trophy of any kind since 1980, when they surprisingly beat Arsenal 1-0, as a second division side, to lift the FA Cup at Wembley.
David Moyes’ side were disappointing in the Premier League during 2022/23, losing 20 of their 38 games to finish 14th in the table, but have been excellent in Europe, overcoming Gent and AZ Alkmaar in the knockout stages of the Conference League to book their place in Prague.
Central to their run to the final has been Rice, whose long-term future has dominated the build-up to the game. Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United all hold significant interest in the 24-year-old, as do Bayern Munich – Bundesliga champions for the last 11 seasons.
West Ham have accepted that Rice, who has two years remaining on his contract, is likely to leave London Stadium this summer and have been preparing for his eventual departure for some time. But they are also determined to hold firm in their valuation of Rice and will not settle for anything less than £100m – either that price is met or a deal will not be agreed.
The club expect bids for Rice to come in straight after Wednesday’s final, sources have confirmed to 90min, but it remains to be seen whether Arsenal, Chelsea or any other interested party are willing to immediately pay the price West Ham are looking for.
90min has reported extensively on Rice’s potential next steps, revealing that new Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino is keen on the England international in addition to detailing Manchester City’s renewed interest. Arsenal’s pursuit of Rice, and their desire to strengthen Mikel Arteta’s midfield options, has also been well documented.
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The surprise interest of Bayern Munich has stolen the headlines for the past week, while noises continue to be made over a potential late move from Manchester United. The Red Devils are in the market for new midfielders – personal terms have already been agreed with Chelsea’s Mason Mount – and manager Erik ten Hag is believed to be impressed with Rice’s all-around game.
Rice has publicly stated his ambition to play in the Champions League and compete for trophies, and it’s unlikely that a West Ham win against Fiorentina – which would book a place in next season’s Europa League – will be enough to keep him at the club.
And though money is not a factor in Rice’s decision making, it’s clear that his growing stature and reputation – one that has been enhanced by the interest of so many clubs – could command a significant wage packet that West Ham simply aren’t able to afford.
As it stands, Rice has not made it clear if he has a preferred destination, despite talk of the player wanting to remain in London to be . Furthermore, he is leaving talks over his future to his family and representatives while he focuses on leading West Ham out against Fiorentina.
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On this week’s edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders is joined by Toby Cudworth and Graeme Bailey to discuss Harry Kane, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Alexis Mac Allister, Karim Benzema, William Saliba & more!
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