West Ham plan to sell Declan Rice whilst his value remains high as they name their price for the 22-year-old midfielder...

What's the word?

According to Football Insider, a West Ham source has revealed that the Irons are prepared to offload the England international for around £90m instead of letting him run down his £60k-per-week contract, which is due to expire in 2024.

It's thought that the east London outfit are already lining up a replacement, having signed Alex Kral on a loan-to-buy agreement from Spartak Moscow in the summer.

Hammers chiefs were hoping to hold out for over £100m and that put off potential suitors such as Manchester United and Chelsea. But they could now be forced to sell as the academy product has rejected advances on a new deal.

Targets are now being drawn up ahead of what is likely to be a busy 2022 in the transfer window.

Saga ahead?

This news will leave many supporters around the London Stadium absolutely gutted as it seems as if the club's ownership is prepared to settle for a lot less than expected for one of their biggest stars.

Rice is absolutely pivotal to David Moyes and his squad - that much has been even more evident this campaign.

He currently ranks as their third-best performer on the season so far, earning a 7.34 rating on WhoScored. Only the division's leading goalscorer Michail Antonio (7.96) and Said Benrahma (7.51) have been graded better.

Valued at £63m by Transfermarkt, the young midfield powerhouse tops the charts for interceptions (2.3 per game) and passing (94.4% accuracy from 59.5 passes per game), which suggests he's capable of reading the game, defending firmly and then driving the ball forward up the other end of the pitch.

Rice is also currently averaging 1.5 tackles and 1.7 dribbles per game too, via WhoScored. He clearly is getting forward a lot more this term and it's led to the Hammers' losing just one of their six league games so far.

Moyes once claimed that it would take serious money to secure a move for the 22-year-old anytime soon but this latest development from Rush Green throws a shadow on that.

"Bank of England money would be required, and you might even need to add Bank of Scotland on to that as well because he has been so good," the Scotsman claimed last January.

Therefore, much of the Irons faithful will surely be fuming with these fresh claims from an inside source.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Antonio: West Ham must swoop for 67-cap "leader", won't cost GSB a penny...