The anticipated move of West Ham United star Declan Rice is set to be one of the most talked-about transfers across the summer window in Europe as the 24-year-old Hammers captain is primed for a move to one of the continent’s big boys.
Rice etched his name in club lore yesterday after guiding the Hammers to their first piece of major silverware in decades after helping David Moyes’ men see their way past Fiorentina in the final of the Europa Conference League, allowing the England international to repay the capital side for their faith in him one last time.
As expected, Rice is set to fetch West Ham ~£100m when one of Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United, or outside-shot Bayern Munich add the midfielder to their senior setup, but from the Hammers’ perspective, replacing Rice is of the utmost importance if they are to not only credibly compete in the Europa League, but also improve on their lackluster 2022-23 Premier League season.
According to reports from The Telegraph’s Matt Law, the club could flip the nine-figure sum for three summer additions; Leicester City’s Harvey Barnes, Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, and AFC Ajax’s Edson Álvarez.
Arsenal move a step closer to Rice deal as West Ham target three players to spend his £92m fee on…#afc #whufchttps://t.co/X2cZpWNaQz
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) June 8, 2023
A move for three additions to the squad under Moyes would offer the sort of depth that the club could put faith in across an upcoming campaign that will be considerably more difficult after reaching the Europa League.
Law’s reports detail the reality that West Ham views Rice as impossible to replace with just one player, with the combination of Ward-Prowse and Álvarez offering creative control via the Saint’s captain, and defensive qualities from the Mexican international midfielder in what could be a new first-choice central pairing at the London Stadium.
Perhaps the last final act of Rice was not to secure major honors for the club but to give them access to finances that could well help them survive the top flight of English football for the foreseeable future.
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