West Ham chairman confirms Declan Rice wants West Ham exit
By Tom Gott
West Ham chairman David Sullivan has confirmed that Declan Rice wants to leave the club this summer and expects to part ways with the midfielder in the coming weeks.
90min understands that West Ham are expecting several bids for their star midfielder following their victory in Wednesday's Europa Conference League final over Fiorentina, with a price tag of £100m placed on Rice's head.
After lifting the trophy, Rice insisted it was 'not goodbye yet' but now Sullivan has confirmed he believes the 24-year-old has played his final game for the club.
"I think it has to be [Rice's final game]," Sullivan told talkSPORT. "We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. You can't ask for a man who has committed more to us this season.
"In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement - or several replacements.
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"It's not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down. It's cost him £10m to stay at West Ham in that time [in lost wages]. And he wants to go. You can't keep a player who doesn't want to be there."
Sullivan insisted West Ham are yet to receive any bids for Rice but, with their calendar now clear, he believes the bids will start flying in.
"I think the offers will start to come today," he continued. "There are three or four clubs who have shown interest, but out of respect to West Ham, while we're still playing, you don't make offers for players.
"That's not the way decent clubs do things."
90min understands that Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are all interested in offering Rice a move across the Premier League, while Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are also admirers.
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