Insider Pete O'Rourke has claimed that West Ham United will not be easily bullied over their valuation of Declan Rice in the summer transfer window.

What's the word?

The England international is set to leave the club this summer after admitting that he wants to play in the Champions League, and is reportedly Arsenal's top target.

Rice is West Ham's captain, but he will have just one year left on his deal, and the club look certain to cash in whilst his value is high.

David Moyes recently stated that it would take a British record transfer fee to land the midfielder, therefore eclipsing the £105m Chelsea just paid for Enzo Fernandez.

Speaking to Football FanCast, O'Rourke claimed that West Ham will not waiver in their stance over their talisman.

He said: "I'm sure West Ham will stick to their guns. They rate Declan Rice really highly, but I think this one can be taken out of their hands just due to his contract situation."

A bidding war?

Although he is in the last year of his deal, West Ham will be able to command a huge fee for Rice, but some reports have suggested that the fee could be around £80m, rather than their desired record fee.

Chelsea and Arsenal are heavily interested, whilst Liverpool have also been linked, and if a bidding war starts between these clubs, then West Ham could be in an excellent position to raise his price.

They will need to gain a huge fee for their captain, as replacing him may prove to be very difficult, and having a lot of teams interested will boost their chances of breaking the transfer record.