Martin Keown claims Declan Rice will be TOO EXPENSIVE for both Arsenal and Liverpool this summer, but tips West Ham to cash in on the England midfielder, who is expected to leave the London Stadium for £100 million
Martin Keown thinks Arsenal and Liverpool can’t afford Declan Rice
The England star has caught the eye of a number of Premier League clubs
The Hammers are willing to sell Rice this summer for around £100 million
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Martin Keown believes Declan Rice will be too expensive for Arsenal and has even priced the West Ham star out of Liverpool’s reach.
Rice is expected to leave the London Stadium this summer, having recently turned down a new deal at the club and is at the top of a number of clubs’ shopping lists ahead of next season.
The England midfielder has attracted interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal, with The Hammers putting a price tag of around £100 million on his head.
However, Keown believes two of those clubs – the former Arsenal and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool – will struggle to live up to West Ham’s valuation.
“Honestly, I think Declan Rice is going to be too expensive for Arsenal,” said Keown talkSPORT.
Martin Keown believes Arsenal and Liverpool will be priced out of a move for Declan Rice
Rice is expected to leave West Ham this summer and there are several clubs looking to sign him
“I think he will also be too expensive for Liverpool, who have been playing in the Champions League for a number of years now.
“He’s a player Arsenal will like, but not at that cost, I think it’s too much. Looking at Arsenal’s business, I don’t think it’s a route they will take.
“I don’t think they have the money, even if the Champions League will bring in a bit more revenue. I don’t see him as a player Arsenal can afford to buy.
Arsenal are looking for a midfielder after failing to sign Moises Caciedo from Brighton in January, and there is a big commitment to making a move to Rice in the summer.
While Liverpool’s biggest problems this season have come in midfield and are also looking to bring new faces to the department, especially after they pulled out of the race for Jude Bellingham.
Former Gunners defender Keown believes West Ham will have to cash in on the prized asset, and for a price that may well exceed his former club.
He added: “I’m sure Arsenal will be interested, but there will be a transfer fee that isn’t there and it will be huge.
West Ham will want to make money now that his contract is up. They must do the right thing and take advantage of him.
The Gunners failed in their approach to Brighton’s Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo
Mikel Arteta would like to add Rice to his team as he wants to strengthen his midfield
“Rice helped keep them in the Premier League, so he’s done his part of the deal.”
The Hammers captain played the starring role on Sunday as West Ham beat Manchester United 1-0 in the Premier League, a result that put them seven points clear of the bottom three.
With the survival of the Premier League all but assured, this week Rice will turn his attention to West Ham’s European campaign as they travel to the Netherlands to take on AZ Alkmaar in the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.
If the East London side can beat the Dutch team then they could find themselves in a European final against Fiorentina or Basel.
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