West Ham midfielder Declan Rice effectively has two and a half years left on his contract at the London Stadium, if you include the club’s option to extend his current deal for an additional twelve months.
The player has, however, refused every attempt to sign an extension, with many now assuming that the 23-year-old will be sold next summer in order to ensure the Irons get a decent transfer fee.
Some fans on Twitter, though, feel that the club could get more value out of him by keeping him until 2025 and then letting him leave for the likes of Chelsea on a free transfer. Understandably, this caused a lot of debate:
£100m won't get us anywhere. We've spent way more recently and look where we are.
— Ryan Mace (@ryanjm90) November 11, 2022
ive been saying this for the last 2 years! could we feasibly get a replacement? Knowing us probably not. May as well keep.
— ⚒ mtg⚒ (@gropingwhu) November 11, 2022
Why? If you can get a good fee you can replace him. Where as if you lose him for nothing you have a huge hole and no funds to replace. This is real life not football manager you have to think sensible not like a child
— Ian Harwood (@Ianharwooduk) November 11, 2022
Might as well look at some of the money we have wasted recently.
— Steve Burgess (@Dougfunny1971) November 11, 2022
I hear it but realistically if he doesn’t want to sign a new contract/wants to leave then we ain’t gonna get the best out of him
— DF (@DeadieFella) November 11, 2022
100m That’s Sullivans pension money right there ! I hope he goes on a FREE 👍🏻
— Mush (@pokermush) November 11, 2022
I agree to a certain extent as he's irreplaceable in his position.
But let's say we got £100m for him in the summer, we could invest that into the areas we need strengthening.— Ginger⚒️Tom (@tomcoyi92) November 11, 2022
Bit silly that
— irish hammer (@irishhammer14) November 11, 2022
There are examples where high-profile players have been allowed to run down their contracts. Paul Pogba at Manchester United springs to mind. The Hammers are not a super-rich club, though, and the owners are not likely to stand by and let a player, who is worth over £100m, leave for nothing.