One of the craziest transfer rumors these days is Bayern Munich’s sudden interest in West Ham defensive midfielder Declan Rice and the — alleged — lengths that the club is willing to go to in hopes of securing the 24-year-old.
With West Ham ready to close out its season Wednesday in the Europa Conference League against Fiorentina, the Hammers are gearing up for what could be a massive haul per 90Min.com:
Central to their run to the final has been Rice, whose long-term future has dominated the build-up to the game. Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United all hold significant interest in the 24-year-old, as do Bayern Munich – Bundesliga champions for the last 11 seasons.
West Ham have accepted that Rice, who has two years remaining on his contract, is likely to leave London Stadium this summer and have been preparing for his eventual departure for some time. But they are also determined to hold firm in their valuation of Rice and will not settle for anything less than £100m – either that price is met or a deal will not be agreed.
The club expect bids for Rice to come in straight after Wednesday’s final, sources have confirmed to 90min, but it remains to be seen whether Arsenal, Chelsea or any other interested party are willing to immediately pay the price West Ham are looking for.
As most fans expect, Bayern Munich is not exactly a sure thing to land Rice. With Mauricio Pochettino reportedly a fan of Rice, the new boss at Chelsea could push for the midfielder to be his first big signing. That does not even include the other deep-pocketed competitors.
As far as Bayern Munich’s chances go, they are still the outsider in what looks to be an All-English set of competitors:
The surprise interest of Bayern Munich has stolen the headlines for the past week, while noises continue to be made over a potential late move from Manchester United. The Red Devils are in the market for new midfielders – personal terms have already been agreed with Chelsea’s Mason Mount – and manager Erik ten Hag is believed to be impressed with Rice’s all-around game.
As it stands, Rice has not made it clear if he has a preferred destination, despite talk of the player wanting to remain in London to be. Furthermore, he is leaving talks over his future to his family and representatives while he focuses on leading West Ham out against Fiorentina.
The interesting part of this transfer saga will be just how quickly Rice makes his decision. With some extremely attractive option, the star midfielder has to be feeling good about how things have worked out.
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