According to the reports from England, West Ham United have suffered another blow in their attempt to tie down Declan Rice to a new contract as the Manchester City and Manchester United target has rejected their latest eight-year offer.
Rice has grown into one of the best midfielders in England over the past few years. A vital part of David Moyes‘s West Ham United side, he has been critical to the rise in stature that the Hammers have enjoyed recently. The 23-year-old is also a mainstay in the England national team and had been a critical contributor to their final run in the UEFA Euro 2020 last summer.
This season, Rice has been in spectacular form, helping West Ham go as far as the semi-finals in the UEFA Europa League. However, his future beyond the current campaign has been a topic of much debate. The east London outfit remain firm on their stance that the academy graduate is not for sale and have been attempting to tie him down to a new contract.
Rice has already turned down multiple offers from West Ham, but they continue to make efforts to extend his deal and put forth a massive eight-year proposal worth 200,000 pounds per week. However, as per the report, the 23-year-old has shot down the latest offer from the Hammers as speculations over his future continue to gather pace.
The Hammers would be prepared to sell Rice, who joined the club at 14 after he was released by Chelsea, for the right price in the summer of 2023 if he does not sign a new contract.
West Ham manager David Moyes has said that Rice is worth at least 150 million pounds while reiterating the club’s position that the England international is not for sale.
Manchester City are in the market for a new midfielder as they look to replace long-serving star and current club captain Fernandinho, who has decided to leave at the end of the season when his contract runs out. Rice is one of the options that Pep Guardiola’s side are considering to reinforce their squad in the midfield department.
Manchester United are also among the admirers of the 23-year-old England international. It is no secret that the Red Devils desperately need a proper defensive midfielder in their ranks, more so with Nemanja Matic set to depart this summer. Rice has been one of Manchester United’s top targets for some time now, but the lack of Champions League football could hurt them.
