A Fabrizio Romano update could be hugely damaging for West Ham over Declan Rice but great news for Arsenal.
West Ham captain Declan Rice is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in world football.
So it was never going to be a free run at signing the West Ham captain for reported frontrunners Arsenal.
Bayern Munich, Man United and Man City are all being heavily linked with Hammers talisman Rice too.
Indeed Bayern have emerged as a serious threat to Arsenal’s attempts to sign West Ham’s beloved skipper according to Sky Sports.
Especially when a German journalist claimed Bayern are willing to blow Arsenal out of the water by meeting West Ham’s £100m plus demands for the England midfielder after Thomas Tuchel made him his number one target.
Th Gunners meanwhile are said to have been dithering over meeting that asking price.
Earlier this month on Hammers News we stated that the fee West Ham will be able to command for Rice will be heavily dictated by the price Real Madrid pay for his England midfield partner Jude Bellingham.
Both Rice and Bellingham are generational talents. And their futures are intrinsically linked this summer.
Bellingham confirmed his arrival as a super star at the World Cup with England.
There were comparisons to the likes of Steven Gerrard and even Zinedine Zidane off the back of his ridiculously impressive Three Lions performances.
Fabrizio Romano update could be hugely damaging for West Ham over Declan Rice but great news for Arsenal
If Rice is a Rolls Royce, Bellingham is a one-off Bugatti.
Rice and Bellingham are two very different players. But Bellingham can do much of what Rice can do in that holding role while also being able to play as a number eight and number 10 to great effect.
The boy has absolutely everything.
Therefore he is undoubtedly going to fetch a slightly higher price than West Ham can command for Rice.
So a Fabrizio Romano update could be hugely damaging for West Ham over Rice but great news for Arsenal.
Real agree Bellingham fee which will seriously limit what Hammers can demand for Rice
The transfer reporter has revealed a deal has been struck between Real and Dortmund at just £86.9m for Bellingham.
Rice’s Three Lions teammate will sign a six-year deal at Real but the Spanish giants are holding off making an official announcement as Dortmund are currently fighting to secure the Bundesliga title ahead of bitter rivals Bayern.
No matter how you dress it up, the Bellingham fee will limit what West Ham can demand from Arsenal or anyone else for Rice.
That deal sets the market price. And whatever Rice might be worth in the eyes of West Ham, there is no way top clubs will pay more for him than Real have paid for Bellingham.
The best the Hammers can hope for now is to match that kind of fee.
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