Liam Thomas

Sun 5 March 2023 17:10, UK

TalkSPORT host Mark Goldbridge reacted to comments from Roy Keane this week claiming that West Ham star Declan Rice hasn’t been good enough this season.

The Daily Mail reported Keane’s scathing comments about Rice that he made live on ITV before the Hammers’ fifth-round FA Cup defeat to Manchester United on 1 March.

Goldbridge confessed that he wholeheartedly agrees with Keane’s comments about Rice, claiming that he’s never seen Rice put in a performance of a £100m player.

“I heard Roy Keane this week having a pop at Declan Rice,” said Goldbridge on his TalkSPORT show. (4 March, 9:40 PM)

“They’re saying he’s not worth £100m they were talking about it on the show before, I think £100m is not worth it.

“I think Declan Rice could be a £100m player but he’s not worth it, I’ve never seen Declan Rice put in a performance where I’ve gone, ‘he’s a £100m player’.

“I’d take him at Manchester United, I’m sure Chelsea, Arsenal would take him but he’s not a £100m player.

“If you’ve got a £100m player in your team you’re not in a relegation battle I’m sorry.”

Bidding war.

West Ham need to ignore this rhetoric which seems to be seeping out from pundits everywhere at the moment that Rice isn’t worth what the club will likely ask for him.

If Rice is to leave the London Stadium this summer then it’s absolutely vital that the Hammers get as much money for him as possible.

£100m for a homegrown, generational talent isn’t too much to ask, is it? Especially with numerous juggernauts being interested in his signature.

What Rice is actually worth will ultimately come down to how much clubs end up bidding for him and if Chelsea are involved, you can expect it to probably get a bit silly.

This is absolutely fantastic news for West Ham, who should and must look to get a fee in the region of £100m+ for Rice’s departure.

Just think of what the West Ham board can do with that kind of cash influx, the opportunities in the summer transfer market would be almost endless.