West Ham are interested in signing Ross Barkley, according to a report from the Telegraph, and the Hammers could ask for the England international as part of a deal that sees Declan Rice head to west London.
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Now, the east London outfit really do not want to sell Rice. But because of the ongoing health crisis, and how it has affected football clubs financially, West Ham might be forced into moving the 21-year-old on.
And if the England international is to leave the London Stadium, the Hammers will undoubtedly demand a massive fee.
West Ham fans will not want to lose Rice one little bit. But perhaps the arrival of Chelsea star Barkley, as well as a large amount of money, would soften the blow.
The Telegraph claims that David Moyes could ask Frank Lampard for the 26-year-old former Everton man this summer.
Stats
Barkley joined Chelsea from the Toffees in January 2018, for a fee believed to be worth £15 million (BBC).
The midfielder hasn’t quite hit the heights that were expected of him at Stamford Bridge, however.
He has racked up eight goals and 10 assists in 72 games for Chelsea (Transfermarkt).
On his day, Barkley is a brilliant footballer. Sure, the 26-year-old hasn’t quite been the same over the past year or two, but he clearly has the potential to be a top class player.
If West Ham were to receive an offer from Chelsea of around £60 million for Rice plus the services of Barkley, it might just tempt them into selling. Especially considering the losses that they will be experiencing because of the global health crisis.
In an ideal world, however, we would keep the 21-year-old. But unfortunately for us Hammers fans, the world is a very different place now. And the opportunity of receiving a massive fee for the midfielder might just prove to be difficult for David Sullivan and David Gold to refuse.
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