Declan Rice could stay at West Ham United amid contract and transfers, snub Arsenal and Manchester City – Harry Redknapp
Harry Redknapp believes Declan Rice could still stay at West Ham if the club were to offer him a new big-money deal and sign some “top players”.
The Irons captain is widely expected to finally leave the London Stadium this summer in search of Champions League football, with Arsenal in the driving seat to sign him ahead of Manchester City despite two rejected bids.
FA Cup-winner Redknapp accepts that a switch to the Emirates looks most likely but feels it isn’t a foregone conclusion, so wants the West Ham hierarchy to make a final push to keep the 24-year-old in claret and blue.
The ex-Irons boss told Claret & Hugh: “West Ham are a big club with up to 65,000 fans in the stadium. I can see a future for him with the club.
“If the board were to offer him up to £250k a week and brought in three or four top players that may tempt him to stay where he is despite him wanting Champions League football.
“The Hammers are in Europe and he won his first medal with us last season. I would really love to see the club push to keep him.
“In reality it looks as though he will go to Arsenal as things stand and they do begin to look a very good team to whom he would be a big help.
“I certainly see them as being the main challengers to Man City next season and beyond. They are a young and exciting team but I would have thought he would want to speak with Man City.
“However, at the end of it all I want the Hammers to have a right go at keeping him. We are a big club and he could do far worse than to stay where he is.”
Hopeful
It genuinely isn’t impossible for Rice to stay at West Ham because he has made quite clear over the years the level of affection he holds the club in.
But given he has also made it just as clear how much he wants to play in the Champions League and regularly win silverware it has to be considered an extremely long shot.
The skipper lifting the Hammers’ first major trophy in over 40 years on 7 June would be a fitting send off, but also perhaps leaves a glimmer of hope that he could be convinced to push for more in East London.
If Arsenal put the money that West Ham want on the table in the next week or so it is sure to be too late, with a move across the capital having seemingly been in his mind for months.
But they have already failed with multiple bids, so should they continue to do so and the saga drags on further into the summer perhaps Redknapp’s suggestion could come into play.
Supporters would love to see it but have largely accepted it is probably not going to happen, so an exit sooner rather than later certainly remains the greater likelihood at this stage.
In other West Ham news, a Sky Sports pundit has scoffed at the idea of the Arsenal transfer going through.