West Ham United is reportedly open to the possibility of accepting Scott McTominay and Harry Maguire as part of a swap deal for Declan Rice….CONTINUE READING
The news comes after Manchester United has shown interest in offering the duo as part of a package for Rice, whose current valuation stands at £100 million.
While Arsenal is currently leading the race for Rice’s signature, Manchester United could potentially rival their bid by presenting a swap deal proposal.
According to reports from The Telegraph, Manchester United is contemplating including McTominay and Maguire in the deal to make it more appealing.
Arsenal remains the front-runner in terms of the highest bid, but given West Ham’s interest in both McTominay and Maguire, the inclusion of these players could facilitate negotiations.
Insider ExWHUEmployee suggests that both players would be of interest to West Ham, which may provide Manchester United with the motivation to explore this avenue.
@ExWHUEmployee stated, “We suspect the rumor of Manchester United entering the Declan Rice race with a player + cash deal could be true. West Ham would consider Maguire and McTominay in any deal. Maguire would need to take a cut in his wages. Moyes admires McTominay.”
West Ham has been hopeful of sparking a bidding war for Rice ever since chairman David Sullivan confirmed that the club is open to selling their captain this summer, following their Conference League triumph in Prague.
Manchester City has also been linked with a potential move for Rice, with rumors suggesting they may offer Kalvin Phillips as part of a package deal.
West Ham has long been an admirer of Phillips, but the player has expressed his intention to remain at Leeds United for the upcoming season, despite only making two Premier League starts last term.
While talks between Arsenal and West Ham continue, the Gunners remain hopeful of finalizing a deal as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, the Hammers have already started searching for a suitable replacement, but Fulham’s steep asking price for their top midfield target Joao Palhinha has presented a hurdle.
Palhinha had an exceptional debut season in the Premier League after joining from Sporting in Portugal. Borussia Dortmund is also believed to be leading the race for Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez.
Additionally, Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse has piqued West Ham’s strong interest following his club’s relegation, and he could potentially be available at a reduced price.
Reports from Spain suggest that West Ham has joined Lyon in the pursuit of Atletico Madrid midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia.
While Kondogbia was highly rated during his time at Monaco, he has failed to live up to expectations following spells with Inter Milan and Valencia. It is speculated that he could be available for a fee just over £4 million this summer….CONTINUE READING