Graham Potter closes in on his very own Declan Rice and he’ll transform West Ham

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West Ham United head coach Graham Potter needs to sign his very own Declan Rice, if he is to fulfil his potential at the London Stadium.

Declan Rice left West Ham to join Arsenal in the summer of 2023 for a whopping £105 million fee, and Graham Potter‘s priority should be to bring someone in who has similar attributes to the 26-year-old.

The worst bit about Rice leaving is that West Ham have failed to adequately replace him at the London Stadium.

The Hammers have been crying out for power, pace and ball-carrying ability in central midfield for more than 18 months now.

It’s a travesty that David Moyes thought James Ward-Prowse and Edson Alvarez were sufficient replacements for Rice.

And the fact that Julen Lopetegui and Tim Steidten failed to address that area of the pitch in the summer of 2024 probably was the main reason why the Spaniard lost his job, with the German set to follow him out the door at the London Stadium.

Now Potter has to succeed where those before him failed. He wants three new signings in the January window, and one of them absolutely has to be a powerful central midfielder.

Thankfully, it seems like the addition of a ball-carrying box-to-box midfielder is right at the top of Potter’s wish-list.

Graham Potter closes in on his very own Declan Rice for West Ham

The Hammers head coach will be well aware that he needs to add a player with a very specific profile to his central midfield ranks.

The lack of power and pace in central midfield has really held us back as a team this season.

However, the good news is that Potter appears to be close to changing all of that.

And it has been claimed that West Ham are now closing in on the signing of Ezechiel Banzuzi, after the arrival of recruitment guru Kyle Macaulay.

It is said that the Hammers will pay around £13 million for the young Dutchman – unreal value in this day and age when you think about it.

After Rice’s exit in the summer of 2023, it now seems like West Ham have finally found a replacement for him.

Better late than never I say!

What Ezechiel Banzuzi will bring to West Ham

The 19-year-old OH Leuven midfielder has explosive power, pace, energy and athleticism in abundance.

West Ham have been bereft of those qualities in midfield since Rice left us to join Arsenal.

In 21 league appearances for OH Leuven this season, Banzuzi has one goal and five assists to his name.

During those outings, he has averaged 2.2 tackles, 1.5 clearances, one dribble, one key pass and 1.7 successful aerial duels per game (Who Scored).

He really is the all-round midfielder, and as he matures, I fully expect him to get in better goalscoring positions going forward.

£13 million for Ezechiel Banzuzi would be sensational business for West Ham.

The Dutchman would be a transformational signing for West Ham, and Graham Potter could be on the verge of bringing his very own Declan Rice to the London Stadium.