West Ham United may be forced to cash in on Declan Rice to allow the club to rebuild their squad, according to former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson. 

The Lowdown: West Ham's recent spending

The summer transfer window saw the Hammers indulge in a €182m (£160m) spending spree, bringin the likes of Lucas Paqueta, Gianluca Scamacca and Nayef Aguerd to the London Stadium. The former became the Irons' record acquisition, his move potentially climbing to more than £50m.

West Ham's was the third-highest summer outlay among Premier League clubs, exceeded only by Chelsea and Manchester United (Transfermarkt).

Looking ahead to future transfer windows, it appears that Robinson thinks that the east London club may need to sell one of their prized assets if they want to enjoy another spending spree.

The Latest: West Ham to cash in on Rice?

Speaking to Football Insider, the former England goalkeeper discussed West Ham's financial situation heading into the upcoming January transfer window and believes that Rice, who has been the subject of much transfer speculation, may need to be sacrificed for the greater good.

Robinson stated: "West Ham have been very inconsistent this year. They had a poor start, picked it up but have now slipped up again. Perhaps European football is playing a part. They might be finding it hard to juggle the games.

"Most managers want to strengthen in January, especially those that are struggling.

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"It sounds as if West Ham will not be able to significantly strengthen again until they sell Declan Rice. If he is not going to sign a new contract, they will probably look to sell him in the next year 18 months.

"That is probably when the next big influx of money will come in. The money generated from Rice’s sale could take the squad on to the next level."

 

The Verdict: West Ham must not sell Rice

Having played every minute of Premier League action for David Moyes' side this season, this highlights how important the 23-year-old is for the Hammers in addition to being the club captain.

Across his 15 league appearances, the England midfielder, who will be involved in the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, has racked up the highest percentage of accurate passes (89.1%) at the London Stadium, also playing more progressive passes than any of his team-mates (61).

From a defensive point of view, Rice has the joint-highest number of interceptions (24) at the club, along with the second-highest number of blocks (20) and successful tackles (16).

Taking all that into account, it shouldn't be in West Ham's thoughts to sell their midfield star, even if it would give them a significant cash injection to spend on new players.