Teddy Sheringham says Declan Rice is worth £160m for West Ham
West Ham should demand £160million from prospective buyers if they decide to sell Declan Rice during the summer transfer window, according to Teddy Sheringham.
The defensive midfielder has been linked with a nine-figure move away from the London Stadium this summer, with Chelsea, Man City and Manchester United all linked [Telegraph].
But with West Ham looking to push on and grow into a team that can compete with those sides, former Hammers striker Sheringham told Genting Casino that they should be asking for more than the £100m mooted.
‘I think [head coach David] Moyes said something about him being a £100million player, didn’t he?,” he recalled.
“I’d hold on to him and say, ‘I want more than that, this player’s unbelievable, he’s better than that. If you really want this guy you’re going to have to break the bank and show me you think of him as much as I do, because I’m not letting him go for £100m.’
“When the best centre forward in the world was up for sale in the summer, Tottenham wanted £200m for him, the other clubs didn’t have that valuation. I’m going up to £150m, £160m for Declan Rice.”
Indispensable
Rice is by far and away the most important player at West Ham right now and no amount of money will allow them to replace him.
But with that said, Rice has made it clear that he wants to challenge for trophies and win things during his career and the likelihood is that will happen away from east London.
Despite that though, the Hammers aren’t in a position where they need to sell and if they value him that highly then it’s on the buying club to make it worth their while.
The figures being mentioned all seem high for a defensive midfielder, but it’s about context and the realisation that West Ham will need to sign more than one player to replace him in their team.
That immediately justifies whatever amount they ask for and as his reputation grows, that price only gets higher.
In other West Ham news, ‘On fire’ – Harry Redknapp backs West Ham ace for big recognition, ‘no stopping’ him