West Ham United have hinted that a deal for captain and key player Declan Rice to leave the club may be close, by making a move for his replacement.
Rice is one of the hottest properties on the transfer market and has caught the eye of plenty of clubs across Europe in recent seasons. Available this summer, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Manchester City have all expressed interest, while Arsenal have already seen a bid turned down.
Despite this, the Gunners have always been seen as firmly in the driving seat for any potential deal, with Rice himself keen on an Emirates switch and looking to stay in London if possible, where he has spent his entire career.
Now, a deal may be close for the England international, with the Hammers already beginning to put out feelers for replacements.
Set to miss out on Edson Alvarez as things stand amid interest from Borussia Dortmund, they are preparing an opening offer for Fulham’s Joao Palhinha.
The Portuguese star only arrived in the Premier League 12 months ago, but was one of the signings of the season and helped the Cottagers defy all expectations to snag a top half finish and finish above west London rivals Chelsea for the first time since 1983, despite plenty thinking that they would be heading straight back down into the Championship.
As per transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Palhinha is considered ‘top of the list’ for West Ham, but a deal will not be easy to do with Fulham under no pressure to sell and keen to keep together the core of the squad that enjoyed such a strong 22-23 season.
