Chelsea target Declan Rice remained silent about his future at the club following West Ham’s triumph in the Europa Conference League.
The Hammers secured a 2-1 victory against Fiorentina, with Jarrod Bowen scoring a late winner to end their 43-year wait for a major trophy.
West Ham took the lead through Said Benrahma’s second-half penalty, but Giacomo Bonaventura equalized for Fiorentina in a tense final in Prague.
As the match appeared to be heading for extra time, Bowen capitalized on a superb pass from Lucas Paqueta and scored past the Fiorentina goalkeeper to secure a narrow victory.
Rice joined the ranks of club legends such as Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, who had previously achieved glory with West Ham in the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965 and FA Cup triumphs in 1975 and 1980.
The English midfielder’s future remains uncertain amid reported interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City.
While talking to BT Sport, Rice remained tight-lipped about his plans after the victory, leaving fans and pundits guessing about his potential next move.
“Look, at the moment there’s obviously a lot of speculation about my future. Obviously there is interest from other clubs, that’s out there. But ultimately I’ve still got two years left at West Ham and I love this club, I love playing for this club.”
“There hasn’t been anything yet so my focus is playing for West Ham, enjoying tonight, and seeing what happens. I’m captain of this club, I absolutely love it to pieces, I absolutely cannot speak highly enough of this place. Let’s see what happens.”
"I absolutely love this club… they've made me one of their own!" ❤️
"Mark Noble said he can't look at me because he'll start crying!" 😂
Declan Rice talks European glory, his love for West Ham and his future with @julesbreach, Joe Cole and @CarltonCole1!#UECLfinal pic.twitter.com/AmSGJYzAJ6
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) June 7, 2023
West Ham has reportedly come to terms with the fact that they will have to sell Rice during the upcoming summer transfer window.
The club understands the club captain’s desire to play for a team contending for league titles and participating in the Champions League.
However, the Hammers plans to capitalize on the significant interest in Rice, as several top clubs across Europe have expressed interest in him. They aim to leverage this interest to drive up his price and value him at approximately £100 million.
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Despite initially facing the possibility of being drawn into a relegation battle, West Ham managed to secure their Premier League status and achieve a remarkable feat by winning a rare European trophy.
The team finished 14th in the Premier League, but their success in the Europa Conference League marked a significant milestone for manager David Moyes, who lifted his first-ever European trophy during his managerial career.
