West Ham midfielder Declan Rice COULD reportedly sign a new contract… but only on one condition.
Rice has been heavily linked with a move away from West Ham, with boyhood club Chelsea and Manchester United both thought to be interested in securing his services.
It has seemed like a foregone conclusion that Rice would leave West Ham sooner rather than later. That may well be the case, but 90min don’t rule out him signing a new contract.
Their report claims that Rice would be open to the idea of discussing an extension to his current Hammers deal.
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HOWEVER – Rice would only be prepared to do so if it included a release clause. Jack Grealish negotiated a similar deal with Aston Villa last summer and is now playing for Manchester City.
If Rice were to sign a new deal, it would be faux show of commitment to West Ham. He would presumably get a pay-rise and a clear route out of the club, while West Ham would be able to guarantee a specific figure.
It remains to be seen just how high West Ham would want to price that release clause. You imagine it wouldn’t be far off the £100m Aston Villa banked in exchange for Grealish…