A number of West Ham’s Premier League rivals have been put on alert by the news that the Hammers could be prepared to sell Declan Rice.
The Hammers do not want to part with Rice but, like many clubs, they are having to face up to the financial realities of life in the post Covid-19 era, and recognise that he may need to be sold to free-up some much needed funds.
And that is likely to spur interest from a number of clubs, with Manchester United and Chelsea likely to be at the head of the queue.
United have long been admirers of Rice who fits their transfer profile of young, talented British players, and who they believe could add dynamism to their midfield.
Chelsea are likely to have the edge, however, not least because Rice is best friends with Mason Mount from their days together in the Chelsea academy.
Last month, both got in trouble for flouting the UK guidelines on social distancing when the pair were spotted playing football together in a North London park.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.