West Ham will table an improved contract offer to Declan Rice after he rejected their £8,000-a-week package, according to a club insider.
Ex-WHU Employee, who breaks Hammers stories consistently before the mainstream media, claim the club intend to quickly increase the offer to their rising star.
With Rice the club did offer 8k but have said they intend to come back with a much better offer soon I’ll discuss later
— ExWHUemployee (@ExWHUemployee) June 7, 2018
The three-times Republic of Ireland international made 31 appearances for West Ham last season after emerging from the youth-team ranks to establish himself in the first team.
OPINION
Given that Rice is out of contract in a year’s time and there are reports he has just changed agents, West Ham fans will be concerned that he could push to leave amid interest from rival Premier League clubs. A deal worth £8,000-a-week appears well below market value for a centre-back who was a regular in the recent season, and was trusted to such an extent by ex-boss David Moyes that he played the full 90 minutes in each of the last eight league matches of the campaign. West Ham have a genuine talent on their hands and need to look after him. That doesn’t necessarily paying him a jawdropping salary, but making him feel wanted with a deal to match the best teenagers in the Premier League and also a pathway to establish him as a regular starter under new boss Manuel Pellegrini. West Ham have a history of developing top British talent, and it would be a shame to lose Rice just because the board wouldn’t pay him what he’s worth.
