(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
West Ham have renewed talks with Declan Rice’s agent over a new deal for the teenager and are hoping to get a deal done by Christmas.
Rice is tied to the club for the rest of this season and next under an option on his current deal but have started talking to his adviser Neil Fewings again after a break in negotiations.
The club are keen to get a contract sorted and even Pablo Zabaleta has said publicly that the he wants to see the situation sorted out.
And this morning ClaretandHugh contacted the club seeking to discover the entirely updated situation given the impasse which appears to have arisen over recent months.
We were told by a senior insider: “We are are in discussions and hope to reach a compromise by Xmas. We love the player, he loves West Ham United and we hope to sort out something soon
The club wants to reward him for his progress, with rises as he progresses further. The club is under no pressure with options contracted to Summer 2021 and even then unless he goes abroad we get a fee set by a Tribunal.
However we don’t want to spoil him.”
With two years left on his deal and the player earning just £3k a week at the moment the pressure comes back onto ‘Team Rice’ to settle given the money he will lose over 24 months by not doing so.
Focusing on how much Rice is losing by not signing a new contract is totally the wrong attitude. Rice is clearly 100 per cent better than the crock West Ham signed during the summer on God knows how much per week (perhaps you can enlighten me on that Hugh). Rice is clearly not another Oxford, and, in my opinion, is now solidly in the first team squad, in all probability the first eleven. If Rice is good enough, being “only 19” is immaterial – it actually increases his worth because of all the years he has in front of him – and Rice is very clearly going to be a very, very good player. If West Ham don’t get this sorted quickly and pay him what he wants, they will lose him – that’s a fact and God forbid.
100k and I wasn’t focusing on him I mentioned in last par it was now back on them – some difference. Beyond that I was reporting what I’d learned.
Completely agree with everything you say Hazzy. There are plenty of 19 year olds on big money. It’s ridiculous that we are happy to dish out 100k a week contracts all over the shop but won’t pay Dec what he’s worth. I’m sure his money grabbing agent will now want 50k a week. Fewings called the board’s bluff and won. If Rice leaves the fans will go mad and D&D know that. They’ll now need to pay whatever is asked for.
If no deal is worked out, he stays on 3k for the next 2 years. Can’t see him wanting that somehow. Plus he has lost loads already. All down to an agent who wants more. Take the agent away and i’m sure Declan would have been happy to sign a deal months ago.
It might be best for hos agent to take the 18k plus appearances and win bonuses then and come back to negotiate again at the end of the season as has been offered don’t you think