June 08, (THEWILL) – West Ham football club chairman, David Sullivan, has publicly acknowledged the intentions of midfielder, Declan Rice, to leave the club this summer, stating that he expects the separation to take place in the coming weeks.
In a recent interview, Sullivan shared his thoughts on Rice’s departure, saying of their victorious Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina: “I think it has to be [Rice’s final game]. We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. You can’t ask for a man who has committed more to us this season.”
After that victorious performance on Wednesday, the club is bracing itself for several bids for their star midfielder. A hefty price tag of £100 million has been slapped on Rice’s head, indicative of his immense value to the team. After clinching the trophy, Rice offered a glimmer of hope to fans, stating that it was “not goodbye yet.” However, Sullivan’s recent confirmation suggests otherwise.
Sullivan revealed that no official bids have been received for Rice thus far, but he expects the offers to start pouring in now that West Ham’s schedule is clear. He emphasised that respectful clubs refrain from making offers for players while they are still competing.
It has been in the news even before the end of last season that Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United, as well as Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich, have expressed interest in securing Rice’s talents, sparking a potential bidding war in the English Premier League side.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
