By George Overhill

22nd Apr, 2023 | 9:40am

West Ham United face transfer problem amid £120million Declan Rice price as Stuart Pearce agrees with Simon Jordan

Simon Jordan has tipped West Ham to face a “conundrum” this summer with nobody likely to pay £120million to buy Declan Rice.

The Hammers skipper reminded everyone what he can do with his goal in the Europa Conference League on Thursday (20 April) but is expected to leave the club at the conclusion of the campaign.

But with the 24-year-old presumed to want his move this year Jordan has warned of a stand off when no side meets the club’s valuation, and Stuart Pearce, one of the midfielder’s biggest supporters, agrees that the fee is outlandish.

Speaking on talkSPORT on Friday (21 April) in a clip shared on YouTube (5m) Jim White said of Rice’s strike against Gent: “I see the goal that Declan scored, it’s breathtakingly good. No wonder Sullivan wants £120million plus add-ons.”

“Declan Rice has done things during the season that you’d like to see him do more of, and when he does more of it you wonder why he’s not doing enough of it, because clearly he’s a top quality player,” Jordan said.

“But when you’re getting into the territory of him being worth £120million, he’s worth that if someone wants to pay that. If they don’t, and Declan wants to move, then West Ham are going to be in a slightly difficult position.

“If the player decides he wants to go, and he’s done his bit for West Ham, and there isn’t a market that’s prepared to pay £120million, and I’m not sure there’s going to be, it provides a conundrum for West Ham because I don’t think he’s a £120million player.”

Put to Pearce by White, the former Hammer agreed: “I’m probably of the agreement, no I don’t think he is [worth that]. For £120million you want a goalscorer to come through your doors that’s going to guarantee you 30 goals a year.”

Marketing

Jordan is right that players are only “worth” what others are willing to pay, and while West Ham would like a king’s ransom that is only part of the equation.

With the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City and Newcastle all variously linked the door is opened for a bidding war that could push the price towards that level.

So many big clubs are looking for a player in exactly Rice’s position, making him “worth” a lot more thanks to factors outside his or the Hammers’ control, although there are others that can reduce it again.

Jordan was tipping Todd Boehly as the only person who would pay over £100million back on 2 March [talkSPORT] and the American’s presence at Chelsea is the sort of wildcard that could have a knock-on effect to other clubs.

But given how things have gone at Stamford Bridge this season even he might have had his tendencies to spend tempered.

If West Ham win the Europa Conference League then perhaps the club will have got value out of keeping Rice at the London Stadium for a further year, but if not it would probably have been better in hindsight to have sold him last summer.

If the market reaches a level anywhere close to £100million it would be best to let him go than hold out for more and potentially sour the relationship at the last.