West Ham United’s club chairman, David Sullivan, has officially stated that Declan Rice will depart this summer. Last night, the Hammers won their third only trophy ever after getting the better of Fiorentina in a 2-1 thriller of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Declan Rice led the team to victory courtesy of Jarod Bowen’s dramatic 90th-minute goal. While Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Manchester United had refrained from making offers out of respect for West Ham’s ongoing campaign, the conclusion of the final game against Fiorentina opens the door for potential proposals from interested teams.
Club’s chairman David Sullivan is aware of the situation and has accepted the fact that the Englishman will leave. Sullivan told talkSPORT: “I think it has to be. We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going and in due course he has to get on and we have to get a replacement.
“It is not something we wanted to happen. We offered him £200,000 a week 18 months ago and he turned it down. You can’t keep a player who doesn’t want to be there.
“I think the offers will start to come today. Three or four clubs have shown interest but out of respect to West Ham, while we’re still playing, you don’t make offers for players.”
Declan Rice however has dismissed any claims of transfer and says that he is not aware of the current situation. The 24-year-old has been in the speculation window for two years now and will not believe until he himself leaves the club.
“I’ve still got two years left,” Rice told Sky Sports News. “There’s so much speculation – I see it all the time – but I can’t help that. That comes with playing football every day and doing what I do.
“My focus, and it has been since the World Cup, is to win this trophy and keep West Ham in the Premier League.”
He added: “I genuinely don’t know what’s happening at the minute. That is my honest answer.
“To read it myself [the speculation], it’s actually getting quite boring. Who knows what is going to happen? It’s flattering to be wanted by a lot of clubs but the badge on my chest is West Ham.
“I’ve still got two years left on my contract and ultimately it is up to the people above.”
West Ham is expecting Declan Rice to be paid in the region of £120 million and Bayern Munich is said to be willing to match the offer. The chances of him leaving for the Bundesliga has intensified after Sullivan’s interview and we may soon see him leave England if Arsenal or Manchester United don’t come with a magic offer themselves.
