West Ham To Demand British Record £150m Fee For Declan Rice This Summer
Manchester United and Chelsea have both been linked with a move for Rice.
West Ham are set to demand a British record transfer fee of £150m for Declan Rice this summer, according to reports.
Rice, 23, has continued to impress this season and is expected to leave West Ham in the summer transfer window after stalling on signing a new contract at the London Stadium.
The Daily Mail claim West Ham are resigned to losing Rice at the end of the season but will demand a huge fee for the England international, who still has two years remaining on his current deal.
The report claims the Hammers are determined to not sell Rice for anything less than £150m.
The huge figure is £50m more than Manchester City paid Aston Villa for Jack Grealish last summer in a British record transfer.
Manchester United are the current favourites to sign Rice as they look to replace Paul Pogba, who is expected to leave Old Trafford on a free transfer in the summer.
Chelsea have also been strongly linked with a move for Rice but the London club are currently unable to sign new players due to the sanctions against owner Roman Abramovich.
However, Chelsea are likely to re-emerge as strong contenders for Rice's signature if a buyer for the club is found in the coming months.
According to the report, Rice is interested in a move to United but it remains to be seen whether the club can afford to spend £150m on one player, with other areas of the team also in need of reinforcement.
However, West Ham could be forced to drop their asking price if United emerge as the only bidder for Rice, as the uncertainty surrounding Chelsea continues.
Rice still has two years left on his deal at West Ham, who also hold an option to extend his contract by a further year.
But the London club could look to cash in this summer while they remain in a strong bargaining position.
Contract talks between Rice and West Ham have not officially broken down but manager David Moyes has reportedly accepted he is likely to lose the midfielder.
Earlier this season, Moyes said that clubs had missed out on the chance to buy Rice at a lower price last summer.
"There was a bargain to be got with Declan at £100m," he said.
"That bargain is now gone."
Is Declan Rice worth £150m in the current market? Let us know your thoughts.
Topics: Chelsea, Manchester United, Transfers, Premier League, Declan Rice, West Ham
Rory O'Callaghan