Declan Rice Arsenal
Declan Rice Arsenal

West Ham United are likely to lose Declan Rice at the end of the 21/22 season which is why they are looking to bring in 23-year-old Weston McKennie from Juventus, as per Football Insider.

McKennie joined Juventus just a few months ago but it looks like David Moyes has already earmarked him, should the Hammers boss be forced to sell Rice next summer.

The report claims: “West Ham are working on a deal to sign Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie – and talks have already taken place, Football Insider can exclusively reveal.

“A West Ham source has told Football Insider that McKennie, 23, is a leading target for the club and the groundwork is already being laid for a big-money deal.

“Talks have taken place between the hierarchy at West Ham and Juventus over McKennie moving from Turin.

“The Italian giants are believed to be open to a deal even though they only signed the central midfielder from Schalke in the summer.”

Will Weston McKennie replace Declan Rice next season?

West Ham United fought tooth and nail this summer to hold onto Declan Rice but one of the big reasons why the club were able to keep him was because the player was happy to stay back for one more season.

 

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The Hammers might not be so lucky next time around though since Declan Rice will be more than willing to play in the Champions League for a club like Chelsea or Man United. And if he wants an exit, Moyes can do very little to stop a sale.

Now, McKennie is still finding his strides at Juventus but in his first four matches, the USA international has shown great promise. And with the kind of financial state that Juventus are in, if a good enough bid comes in then they will be forced to sell him.

As per TransferMarkt, McKennie is valued at £22.5 million but his current deal expires in the summer of 2025.

In an ideal scenario, David Moyes will not want to lose Declan Rice anytime soon but we doubt if the midfielder will want to remain at the London Stadium any longer – no matter how they perform in the Europa League this campaign.

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