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Jamie O'Hara blasts Declan Rice price tag amid British transfer record calls from West Ham United
Jamie O’Hara believes England international Declan Rice is “overrated” and won’t break the British transfer record whenever he leaves West Ham United.
David Moyes recently claimed that Rice’s services would command a fee that will smash the British transfer record, which was set by Chelsea’s January purchase of Enzo Fernandez for £106.8million. [Sky Sports, 1 February]
TalkSPORT pundit O’Hara believes that the 24-year-old isn’t on the same level as Fernandez, and the Express relayed his quotes that suggested he wouldn’t reach the same transfer fee as the Blues midfielder.
“I think Declan Rice is a little bit overrated, to be honest,” O’Hara told Grosvenor Sport.
“He is a brilliant player, I really like him, but he is playing for West Ham; Enzo Fernandez has won the World Cup, so you can see where his price tag comes from.
“Rice is brilliant, but not on that level. Will he break the British transfer record? I don’t think so.”
Madness
O’Hara is clearly mistaken in West Ham’s valuation of Rice, as the club have publicly announced the price tag placed on the midfielders head.
TalkSPORT host Jim White even revealed (7 February) that the Hammers had rejected a £100million bid from Manchester United last summer and were instead looking for a fee of £120million plus add-ons.
Rice is a generational talent and deserves to be placed amongst such numbers due to the sky-high ceiling he possesses. Whoever ends up acquiring his services this summer – which now seems inevitable – will be getting a player who is Premier League proven, has leadership qualities and has ten years at the top of his game ahead of him.
The bidding war that could commence this summer will also bolster his price that bit more, with former West Ham United player Joe Cole admitting he thought every top club in Europe would be after Rice at the end of the season.