Everything has been quiet for a few weeks on the transfer front where West Ham’s Declan Rice is concerned, but after another high-quality performance, this time against Leicester City, the Premier League’s big boys could be circling again.
Though the Hammers sit proudly atop the table after two games in which they’ve scored four goals in each occasion, they don’t have the squad to sustain a title challenge, and to that end, it would be no surprise to see Rice depart east London at some stage, as he goes in search of trophies.
For now, his prohibitive transfer fee has kept interested parties at bay.
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Gary Neville believes his actual price should be somewhere around half of what West Ham are currently quoting, however.
“The two midfield players, two centre-backs and Antonio up front, keep them fit – particularly the two central midfield players and Antonio – if those three stay fit then they’re going to have a really good season because they’ll win a lot of football matches,” he said on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, cited by the Daily Express.
“The foundation they get from those two central midfield players is brilliant, it really is.
“I’ve always liked him. I’ve got no problem with Declan Rice at all. The question is, 80 or 100 million pounds, would you spend that level of money on him?”
When co-pundit, Jamie Carragher asked what Neville believed was a fair price, he answered; “50, 60 million.”
It isn’t a foregone conclusion that he’ll leave of course, and Neville’s valuation perhaps only comes to pass if the player himself hands in a transfer request.