As they prepare to sell England midfielder Declan Rice this summer, West Ham will want a record transfer fee of £150 million.
Rice has refused to sign a new deal with the London club, and the management has secretly accepted that they will have to cash in at the conclusion of the season.
However, West Ham manager David Moyes and the board of directors are adamant about not selling for less than £150 million.
That’s £50 million more than Manchester City spent Aston Villa for Jack Grealish last summer when they set a new British record.
Rice’s main suitors are Manchester United, who are looking to replace Paul Pogba, who will leave Old Trafford on a free transfer this summer.
Chelsea has been there for a while.
West Ham, on the other hand, may find that Chelsea’s troubles hinder their potential to obtain the headline sum for the player.
It would be more difficult for the Hammers to stick to their guns on the price if United were the sole bidder.
Rice’s current deal has two years left on it, but the club has the option to extend it by another year.
The closer the England international gets to the conclusion of his contract, the less negotiation power West Ham has.
Although negotiations between Rice and his club have not officially fallen down, Moyes is said to be accepting of his best player’s wish to join a bigger club.