OPINION
The speculation surrounding West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has kicked into full gear recently, and Hammers fans will no doubt be worried about the future of their most prized asset.
The Sun reported earlier this week that Manchester United valued the player at £40million and were planning on making a summer move for him.
That report has got everyone talking, including West Ham captain Mark Noble: “I see the manager, when asked in his press conference yesterday about Declan and the likelihood of other clubs being interested him, said that, in the end, it comes down a matter of price,” he wrote in his Evening Standard column.
“He’s right. Everyone at the club wants Declan to stay here for a long time but we understand what modern day football is about and top players will always attract interest. Everyone has their price — and if Neymar can be sold, then so can anyone!”
Noble’s words will have assured no one, in fact, they are more likely to have West Ham fans hiding behind their sofas. It seems that Rice’s departure is beginning to look more and more inevitable the more people comment on it.
It’s a truth that everyone in football is aware of that every player has their price. Manchester United didn’t want to sell Cristiano Ronaldo, nor Tottenham Hotspur with Gareth Bale, but when clubs put monumental sums in front of you it’s hard to say no. That is the problem for the Hammers at the moment.
Noble knows that and he’s attempting to be realistic about it. However, his realism kind of comes off as giving up. He’s essentially saying that Rice is going to leave the club eventually, and that’s something no West Ham supporter wants to hear.
The captain should not be coming out and saying ‘everyone has their price. Yes, that’s true, but all he’s doing is pouring fuel on the fire. The skipper should have kept his mouth shut here, because the fans will be panicking even more now.
