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West Ham chairman confirms Declan Rice wants West Ham exit.
West Ham chairman David Sullivan has revealed that Declan Rice wants to leave the club this summer and expects to part ways with the midfielder soon.
After beating Fiorentina on Wednesday to win the Europa Conference League final, reports that West Ham is anticipating many offers for their star midfielder, with Rice carrying a £100 million price tag.
Rice protested after hoisting the trophy that it was “not goodbye yet,” but Sullivan has now acknowledged that he thinks the 24-year-old has played his last game for the team.
“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.
“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.”
According to sources, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United are all interested in signing Rice, while Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are also intrigued.