After saving themselves from relegation by the narrowest of margins thanks to a late sprint at the end of last season, West Ham supporters might’ve been hoping their team would kick on in 2020/21.
In order to do so, David Moyes will need to keep hold of his best players, but according to one former club legend, it looks like he’ll find that hard to do where Declan Rice is concerned.
“You’re talking about £80 million for Harry Maguire,” Frank McAvennie said to Football Insider.
“I think that if he’s worth that then West Ham will be thinking that Declan’s worth somewhere between £60-80 million.
“But listen, the owners will have a figure in mind, and I think it’s the same with every club, if someone matches that, they will sell him. Every club is a selling club now, especially with the pandemic and no money coming in from supporters.
“They’ll have a price, and if it’s met, he’ll be on his way – if he wants to, that is. It’s down to the player as well.”
Rice has been a beacon of light in a Hammers side that has underperformed over the last couple of seasons at the London Stadium, and it’s understood that Frank Lampard will like to take him to Chelsea, where the player spent his formative years as an academy player.
When the east Londoners moved there four years ago, it’s believed that the dream was to have a strong squad playing regular European football.
Suffice to say that things haven’t gone according to plan, and three of the four campaigns have been spent in a relegation battle.
If Moyes is forced to sell Rice then it might well end up as another disaster of a season for West Ham.