Can you actually substitute a participant who you demanded “Financial institution of England” cash for? West Ham United are confronted with this query after promoting Declan Rice to Arsenal.
The midfielder was a stalwart for the crew, a presence that made them really feel like they might compete with the “huge boys”. He had taken the leap from an academy prospect to a frontrunner who would lead West Ham to the promised land.
Nonetheless, actuality struck, a top-six PL membership raided them, and armed with greater than £100 million however rather a lot weaker for it, the duty has begun to switch Rice.
It’s not straightforward, as Barcelona can attest to after they went to switch Neymar in 2017, however in true Moneyball style, the Hammers may need to safe a number of gamers who can mix within the midfield to switch Rice’s distinctive set of expertise.
Listed here are the highest three contenders for West Ham to switch Rice, together with some honourable mentions-
1- Scott McTominay
As mentioned earlier, there are only some gamers in world soccer as proficient at either side of the sport as Rice is. McTominay is comparable within the sense that he’s higher than Rice going forwards, however it comes at the price of passing expertise and defensive recreation.
Earlier than he left West Ham, Rice was present process a change from a defensive-minded anchor man to a box-to-box goalscoring risk.
McTominay is already there. As well as, he has the management expertise and power of character to fill the management vacuum within the squad in the long run.
David Moyes loves PL-proven gamers who’re bodily belongings, and the Scottish worldwide matches the mould completely.
The concern for West Ham would be the hardball negotiating stance of Man United, wanting to fleece a nouveau-rich membership. Figures of round £45 million have been quoted, a value Moyes’ crew could be reluctant to pay.
If they will negotiate it all the way down to round £35 million, then Scott McTominay is the participant most stylistically much like Rice who additionally checks all of the bins of a super David Moyes signing.
2- James Ward-Prowse
The problem of changing Declan Rice may be seen from the truth that the second entry on this listing is a participant whose enjoying profile is totally reverse to that of the primary entry.
Not like McTominay, “JWP” is a creator. He’s a set-piece wizard who additionally runs selflessly to cowl each blade of the grass. Nonetheless, his bodily limitations imply he’s greatest deployed as a deep-lying ball-circulator as an alternative of a destroyer that Rice began off as.
Southampton will virtually actually discover it troublesome to maintain maintain of their captain after relegation so West Ham have that going for them. Nonetheless, his suitability to Moyes’ type of soccer is more durable to examine past his elite set-piece deliveries. Moreover, Southampton will even not let him go on a budget and for a participant with that many query marks over his match, it stays to be seen within the Hammers open their chequebook.
They’ve already had a bid rejected for him they usually would possibly transfer to different targets, however JWP can be an astute addition for the best value for his set-piece supply alone. The likes of Tomas Soucek, Michael Antonio, and Nayef Aguerd can be licking their lips on the prospect of his arrival.
3- Denis Zakaria
Zakaria is a protected passer of the ball who can sit in entrance of the defence and kill assaults together with his positioning. Once more, he’s not a direct Declan Rice alternative.
The Swiss worldwide is pretty much as good as Rice on the defensive a part of the sport however lacks within the attacking sense.
He might be a very good associate subsequent to Tomas Soucek, who could make ahead runs and supply an aerial outlet in assault whereas Zakaria sits again and does what he does best- sweeping up assaults and intercepting ahead passes.
He has frolicked on mortgage at Chelsea, though not very fruitful, however it nonetheless means has some Premier League expertise which Moyes so needs in all his signings.
Juventus have probably deemed his expendable, so this deal must be comparatively simpler to finish than others listed right here. Nonetheless, the participant’s willingness to maneuver from Juventus to West Ham is doubted, whereas the Hammers may also suppose they will get a participant higher match for objective with their cash.
Honourable mentions
West Ham United have been bidding for midfielders left, proper, and centre. Some have fallen via due to the asking value not being met, some haven’t gone via due to reported variations of opinion between the sporting director and supervisor.
Nonetheless, the gamers make sense by way of potential match on the membership.
Chief amongst them is Edson Alvarez. The Ajax defensive midfielder has been linked to larger golf equipment prior to now so it will be a major coup for the Hammers in the event that they signal him.
He’s an elite defensive screener with ever-improving passing expertise. Though he lacks within the goalscoring division, his age and enjoying profile means there may be a variety of room for enchancment.
Moreover Alvarez, there are data-driven choices like Marseille’s Valentin Rongier and Andre Gomes, however their age (28 and 30 respectively) will flip West Ham off on making huge gives for them.
Changing Rice was by no means going to be straightforward and it has been a correct headache for the Hammers.
Ideally, they should signal a minimum of two gamers to fill that gap- one who’s elite defensively, and the opposite who’s a box-to-box risk. A midfield of Denis Zakaria with Scott McTominay comes closest to replicating Rice’s distinctive skillset however changes will nonetheless have to be made.
No one mentioned changing a generational expertise could be straightforward!
