West Ham club chairman David Sullivan admitted on Thursday that his club will not be able to retain international midfielder Declan Rice, courted by many clubs, the day after the Hammers won the Europa League Conference final. “I think it will be (his last game with the Londoners). We promised him he could leave,” the leader told TalkSport radio.
“He has made up his mind to leave and when the time comes he will move on and we will have to find a replacement for him,” Sullivan added, hours after Rice, as West Ham captain, lifted the the club’s first trophy since 1980 and its second on the continental stage after the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965. “It’s not something we wanted to see happen. He was offered 230,000 euros per week (salary) 18 months ago, but he refused. We cannot retain a player who no longer wants to be there,” he continued.
The club will probably be able to partially console themselves with the big check that it is certain to receive for the athletic English central midfielder (1.88m) with 41 selections, who has one year left on his contract. “I think the offers will start coming in today. Three or four clubs have shown interest,” Sullivan said only.
London rivals Arsenal seemed to hold the rope to secure Rice’s services, but Manchester United were also in the running, as well as Bayern Munich.
A sum greater than 100 million euros to snatch the player from the Hammers would be quite possible according to the English press.
