Sullivan confirms Rice will leave Hammers

RICE ON THE MOVE? West Ham chairman David Sullivan has confirmed captain Declan Rice will be allowed to leave this summer and he expects to start receiving bids immediately. Pic: James Warwick

West Ham chairman David Sullivan has confirmed captain Declan Rice will be allowed to leave this summer and he expects to start receiving bids immediately.

The England midfielder said he did not know if he had played his last game for the club after leading them to Europa Conference League glory.

A 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in Wednesday night's final saw him become only the third Hammers skipper to lift a major trophy, following Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds.

However, Sullivan admits a gentleman's agreement means they will allow a player who still has two years remaining on his contract - one year plus an option - to leave.

Asked whether lifting the trophy in Prague was Rice's last action as a West Ham player, Sullivan told talkSPORT: "I think it has to be. We promised him he could go.

"He set his heart on going and in due course he has to get on and we have to get a replacement.

"It is not something we wanted to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago and he turned it down. You can't keep a player who doesn't want to be there.

"I think the offers will start to come today. Three or four clubs have shown interest but, out of respect to West Ham, while we're still playing, you don't make offers for players."

West Ham's fans have been serenading Rice with the song 'one more year' for the last few months.

Yet the 24-year-old remains tight-lipped on his future, and said: "I've still got two years left. I know it's a generic answer but there's so much speculation, I see it all the time, but I can't help that, it comes with playing football every day and doing what I do.

"My focus, and it has been since the World Cup, was to win this trophy and keep West Ham in the Premier League. We've done that so I'm going to enjoy it.

"I genuinely don't know what's happening at the minute, that's my honest answer.

"I'm completely blocked away from the whole situation because it would be totally wrong. I've still got two years left on my West Ham contract and until the day I go I'll always respect that. That's the main thing for me.

"The last two or three years it's been non-stop about me - to read it myself is actually getting quite boring. Who knows what's going to happen?

"It's flattering to be wanted by a lot of clubs, but the badge on my chest is West Ham, I've got two years left on my contract and ultimately it's up to the people above.

"Until the day I walk out of this club I'll give absolutely everything and I'll wear my heart on my sleeve for this badge."

Sullivan also confirmed that there were no plans to dispense with the services of manager David Moyes after a rocky season ended on a high.

"We believed in him. We were under a lot of pressure from supporters, the press, everyone to make changes but we believe in honouring contracts," he added.

"David has a contract with us until next summer and next summer we will look at it again.

"Until then, as long as he wants to remain manger, he will remain manager at West Ham."

Meanwhile, 

New Liverpool signing Alexis Mac Allister admits playing his part in Argentina's World Cup victory gave him a taste for more trophies and he believes he will be able to fulfil that aim at Anfield.

The 24-year-old's arrival on a five-year contract signals the start of manager Jurgen Klopp's much-vaunted midfield rebuild which will likely see further additions made this summer.

A fee has not been disclosed but it is understood the Argentina international had a favourable release clause, which is reported to be as low as an initial £35million, inserted into the Brighton contract he only signed in October to avoid him leaving on a free at the end of the season.

"Since I won the World Cup, I said that I want to win more trophies," the midfielder told LFCTV.

"I think this club will help me to do that. That's the aim, and when you are at a big club like this one, you have to win trophies. That's what I want.

"It doesn't matter which one. Of course, every player wants to win the Champions League and the Premier League, but I will do my best to help the team and try to win every trophy."

Mac Allister was on Liverpool's radar prior to his move to the Seagulls in 2019 but the club felt his development was still in its early stages, although his versatility to play in several positions was a key factor in their interest.

He became as a priority target ahead of the World Cup in Qatar, in which he played a significant part in Argentina's victory, and Liverpool were keen to secure his services to avoid a bidding war having pulled out of the race to sign Borussia Dortmund's Real Madrid-bound midfielder Jude Bellingham when he became too expensive.

Mac Allister said he was looking forward to working with one of the best managers in the world and Klopp was equally fulsome in his praise of the player.

"We are adding a very talented, very smart, very technically skilled boy to our squad and this is super news, really it is," Klopp said.

"It is clear he is someone who can play in a number of positions in the midfield and is an all-rounder. He is calm and composed and someone with proper game intelligence.

"I'm really happy his next steps will now be with us and we get to work with a player who is already excellent and experienced, but also has so much more to come given he is just 24 years old.

"There is no pressure on him. He is still so young, so it is obvious he will only improve and our job is to help him take the next steps."

Mac Allister's age and his career appearances (160) fit in with the demographics of some of the club's most successful signings like Mohamed Salah, Virgil Van Dijk and Roberto Firmino and he represents the start of an overhaul of a midfield which lost James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of their contracts this season.

The groundwork on the deal has been going on for some time as the club have a long-standing relationship with the player's agent Juan Gemelli dating back to Philippe Coutinho's transfer from Inter Milan in 2013.

Departing sporting director Julian Ward pushed the deal to completion but has now handed over transfer business to his replacement Jorg Schmadtke.

Liverpool have also been linked with Bayern Munich's Ryan Gravenberch, Nice's Khephren Thuram, Borussia Monchengladbach's Manu Kone and Southampton's Romeo Lavia and will be looking to get the majority of their business done early in time for the start of pre-season on July 8.

Mac Allister's departure may not be the last from Brighton with Moises Caicedo, a target for Arsenal in January, attracting more interest but the Seagulls' Argentina international left with the club's best wishes.

"We are incredibly proud of Alexis and we are sad to see him go," said chairman Tony Bloom.

"He did something very special, becoming the first Brighton and Hove Albion player to win the World Cup, and was a key player in our best-ever season."