West Ham star would incur fans’ wrath ‘even if they got £100-150 million for him’, claims Barry Fry | OneFootball

West Ham fans would “never forgive” Declan Rice were he to pursue a switch to another side this summer, according to Barry Fry.

The Peterborough Director of Football claimed that not even a gigantic bid for the Hammers favourite would offset the fans’ disappointment in the the midfielder.

“I can’t see David Moyes and the two David’s who own West Ham letting Rice go because he is a man mountain for them and he even played the opposition on his own sometimes last season,” the 76-year-old told Football FanCast. “The West Ham fans would never forgive him, even if they got £100-150 million for him, they’d never forgive him because he’s one of their own.”

Considering the comparative size of the London-based team against some of Rice’s rumoured suitors, however, it’s certainly possible that the former Chelsea youth prospect’s head could be turned.

There are examples, of course, of one-club men who could have secured bigger moves elsewhere but opted for loyalty instead, though one might argue that the Englishman could be forgiven for considering offers from non-London-based outfits.

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Reportedly considered by the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United, there are potential destinations out there for the 22-year-old that wouldn’t carry as great a risk of alienating West Ham’s fanbase.

Given that he is contracted until 2024, however, it’s difficult to imagine any club possessing the funds capable of meeting an asking price likely far in excess of the £58.5m valuation attached to the Hammers man by Transfermarkt.