Former West Ham captain Mark Noble has been remarkably honest about his club’s chances of keeping Declan Rice as he prepares to become their new sporting director in the new year.
Rice has been outstanding for West Ham in recent times and is now a key player for England as well, so it’s not too surprising that there’s been plenty of speculation about his future ahead of next summer.
According to the Daily Mirror, Chelsea are among the numerous big clubs interested in the 23-year-old, and it seems Noble is realistic about West Ham being able to turn down big offers if they come in.
Pointing to the case with Jack Grealish moving to Manchester City in 2021, Noble simply made it clear that if the big clubs decide they’re prepared to pay for Rice, then there’s nothing the Hammers can do about it.
“Whether you think things will get dicey at West Ham – and I don’t believe they will – we just can’t cope financially with the top teams,” he told the Guardian.
“We can try our hardest to recruit the best players that the top five or six don’t buy – and we might get lucky with a few that slip through the net – but you can’t compete with these teams. They’re financially too powerful.
“If a top club wants Declan Rice they’re just going to pay for him, full stop. You’ve seen it with Jack Grealish, with the best players. If the top boys want them, we ain’t got a chance.”
This will surely excite Chelsea fans who are eager to see the club sign Rice, with Graham Potter in need of fresh quality in midfield as both N’Golo Kante and Jorginho head towards the ends of their contracts.
One imagines others like Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City would also be happy to cough up large sums of money for a player of Rice’s calibre, so perhaps it’s best that Noble prepares for that now.