West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice and his representatives have held “no meeting” regarding a move to Bayern Munich, according to Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.
What's the latest on Rice's future?
The Irons captain will be out of contract next summer and it’s looking unlikely that he’ll be putting pen to paper on a new deal after David Moyes admitted that he is set to bring in a “British transfer record” whenever he departs the London Stadium. The England international is currently the E20 outfit’s overall best-performing player with a match rating of 6.96 so it comes as no surprise that he’s attracting interest.
Football Insider report that Premier League giants Arsenal and Chelsea are both strong potential suitors with the 24-year-old’s preference being to remain in the capital but it’s the Gunners who are believed to be leading the race. El Nacional claimed that Bayern Munich were interested in a deal for the skipper with further outlets since suggesting that his agents held talks with key figures in the Bundesliga, though this doesn’t actually appear to be the case.
Taking to Twitter, Plettenberg revealed that Rice and his representatives have not in fact been in contact with the Allianz Arena outfit to discuss a potential move for later in the summer. He wrote:
“News #Rice: Been told there was NO meeting between his management/dad and FC Bayern last week. He’s no transfer target at this stage. Same as with Kovacic: Too expensive and too many players on his position. And: Laimer is coming…”
Should West Ham keep or sell Rice?
Rice has been a fantastic servant to West Ham having scored 12 goals and provided 14 assists in 262 appearances at all levels from the academy right through to the senior first-team but the summer would present the perfect opportunity for the club to cash in.
The Kingston upon Thames-born talent is now becoming a lot more recognised and appreciated on the international stage during his performances for the Three Lions where he not only scored but was also named man-of-the-match for the Euro 2024 qualifier vs Italy last week which will be increasing his price tag, a sum that can be used to generate transfer funds for future new signings.
The Adidas-sponsored star will probably feel like he's capable and deserving of achieving a lot more than he currently is in terms of silverware and titles which he realistically isn't going to get should he remain with Moyes' side considering the dangerous position they find themselves in so it's only fair that he gets the chance to go and prove himself at the highest level elsewhere.
