If Bayern Munich wants West Ham’s Declan Rice, it will have to act fast as Arsenal beckons

Bayern Munich is rumored to want a new No. 6 and West Ham’s Declan Rice might be atop Thomas Tuchel’s wish list.

The issue, however, is the price tag that the Hammers will demand for their star midfielder. In addition to the general cost being a deterrent, Arsenal FC seems poised to make the first offer on the England international per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano:

Pundit Nigel Winterburn doubt West Ham will get what it want for Rice, but that doesn’t mean it will be any easier for Bayern Munich to get the 24-year-old.

“Well, he’s contracted for another year at least, but it seems like he’s indicating that he wants to move on, I think it becomes very difficult to manage the situation. I personally don’t see West Ham getting £120 million,” Winterburn told OLBG (as made available to Bavarian Football Works). “He’s still a young player so there’s a resale value there, but £120 million to sell him on in the future doesn’t seem like it’ll have the same value. I think they would get something in the region of £80 or £90 million, I think £120 million is a bit unrealistic considering the situation. But I’ve been wrong before, I said Harry Kane wouldn’t go for £120 million and he hasn’t ended up at Manchester City because Erling Haaland had a £50 million release clause.”

Winterburn went on to say that does not believe Arsenal will go as high as West Ham would like with a proposal.

“Declan Rice is a terrific player, I like him a lot but for £120 million I don’t see it, especially with a year left on his contract. Maybe a club will match that valuation, I’d be amazed if it was Arsenal in all honesty,” Winterburn said. “But let’s see, it’ll be the talk of the summer, I’m sure. If he doesn’t sign a new contract, then obviously somebody is getting a top player on a free transfer if he isn’t sold this summer. Rice out of loyalty may tell West Ham he wants to go now because the club will get some money back for him.”

Regardless, Winterburn thinks Rice and West Ham will come to an agreement on the best pathway forward to get a transfer done.

“It looks to me that’s the way everybody wants it to play out, but we’ll have to see who is willing to pay a huge chunk of money to take him away from West Ham,” Winterburn said. “It does look as if he’s going to move though and I’m sure some of the big clubs in the Premier League will be monitoring the situation. I could be wide of the mark and a club actually matches the value, it’s a huge amount of money though, but I have been wrong before and I could be again.”

How do you feel about a potential acquisition of Rice? We probably know what the #MüllerMafia thinks of a move (tweet post in Friday’s Schmankerl by BFW Community member fleetwell):