With Rice soon to be announced as an Arsenal player, West Ham have been working behind the scenes to land “two or three” new midfielders.
David Moyes for West Ham
West Ham United have already been “doing lots of work behind the scenes” to smooth the transition away from Declan Rice and find the best replacements they can, claims Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.
Who are West Ham United going to sign to replace Declan Rice?
It has been the first proper transfer saga of the summer, and despite no official announcement coming from either team, transfer expert David Ornstein has already confirmed that a fee of £105m was agreed between Arsenal and the Irons for the services of England international Rice.
While losing your club captain and talisman is never a good thing, the loss will have been somewhat softened by the massive influx of cash the Hammers have received in return, cash they are already working on using to find the best replacements they can for the 24-year-old.
The first player heavily linked to David Moyes’ side once it was clear that they would lose Rice was Fulham’s one-man midfield, the tenacious Portuguese international Joao Palhinha.
The East London club were heavily linked to Europe’s leading tackler last month, but reports of a £90m price tag put the brakes on their, and many others, interest in the 27-year-old.
However, the Guardian reported last week that the Cottagers have reconsidered their demands, now valuing their midfield lynchpin at the far more reasonable £50m, something West Ham could seriously consider with their recent windfall.
The same article from the English publication has also claimed that the Irons are ‘considering’ whether or not to push ahead with a loan move for Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria.
The Swiss midfielder spent an injury-filled six months on loan to fellow London side Chelsea last year, making just ten appearances for the Blues. The loan move would also include an option to buy for just (£15m)
Bristol City’s exciting youngster Alex Scott has also been linked to the London Stadium recently, with Football Insider claiming that the club were in a ‘strong position’ to secure his signature earlier this week.
What has Dharmesh Sheth said about West Ham United?
Sheth was clear that the Hammers will have already been working on sounding out replacements for Rice whilst the sale has been going on but that they will likely have to change how they play next season slightly.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, he said: “Life after Declan Rice is starting already because West Ham will be doing lots of work behind the scenes on replacements for him.
“It’s very difficult to bring in one player in that position and say, ‘There you go, do what Declan Rice does.’
“It might mean that West Ham have to tweak the way they play and maybe bring in two or three new midfielders.”
Who else might be leaving West Ham United this summer?
While the footballing world’s attention has unsurprisingly been set on the saga surrounding Declan Rice’s departure from the Irons this summer, some of the club’s other big names have either already left or are rumoured to be on the way out.
The “brilliant” Manuel Lanzini was one of those that left the club after his contract expired on June 30th. The Argentinian made 226 appearances in Claret and Blue, scoring 32 goals and playing a crucial role in the club’s Europa Conference League triumph last month.
Fullback Ben Johnson could also be on the way out this summer as Football Insider reported earlier this year that the out-of-favour defender was still a target of Everton after the club first registered their interest in the player during the January transfer window.
Whoever comes in and whoever ends up leaving, one thing we can all be sure of is that it will be an exciting and busy summer for West Ham United.
