Soccer Football - Premier League - West Ham United v Brentford - London Stadium, London, Britain - December 30, 2022 West Ham United's Declan Rice looks dejected after the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers EDITORIAL USE ONLY. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club /league/player publications. Please contact your account representative for further details.
TalkSPORT’s Jim White has insisted that Declan Rice, who’s been labelled as perfect for Newcastle United, could cost the club around £120m.
The Lowdown: Rice would fit nicely
Rice was certainly the talk of Newcastle on Saturday night as he dominated the midfield and has earned specific praise from both Toon boss Eddie Howe and journalist Aaron Stokes after his impressive display, with the latter labelling Rice as an ‘absolutely perfect’ signing for the Magpies, who have been mentioned as a potential destination come the summer.
While Newcastle were indeed without Bruno Guimaraes, Rice stepped up and showed how good he is despite West Ham’s struggles this season, with the midfielder bossing the game with three interceptions, six progressive passes and registering the most carries into Newcastle’s final third (FBref).
Therefore it’s no surprise that a lot of people, including Stokes, have been speaking about how Rice would be perfect for Newcastle’s midfield as they look to take the next step in their development.
The Latest: Perhaps it’s a signing too far
It has been mooted that Rice wants to join a Champions League club, and while that could be Newcastle in the summer, it remains to be seen whether or not the Magpies would pay his mammoth price tag that White spoke about.
He said “It’s our understanding £120m plus add-ons will get him; £120m plus add-ons would secure you Declan Rice. We understand that Manchester United last summer bid £100m and didn’t get him.”
The Verdict: Perfect signing for Howe
It would be a tremendous signing if Newcastle could lure one of the top midfielders in the Premier League to Tyneside amid interest from the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea, but it does appear to be a pipeline dream as things stand.
While Newcastle are indeed enjoying a marvellous season in the Premier League sitting fourth with just 17 games left to play, they are far from a finished article and may fall off next season when they have to potentially cope with midweek European football.
Therefore, Rice making the switch to somewhere more used to winning silverware over the past few years and also, in London where he’s from, could well be more appealing but it does show how far the Magpies have come in a short period of time that some are even talking about them looking at Rice.
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