‘Very keen’ – Football expert reveals Newcastle United’s interest in £85 million ace

Well-respected journalist and insider David Ornstein has admitted that Newcastle United are very keen on signing Declan Rice this summer, although they face stiff competition.

Rice has seemingly now played his last game for West Ham after co-chairman David Sullivan spoke on TalkSPORT yesterday about how now was the right time to move on and that the midfielder has his heart set on leaving the London Stadium.

While that news was widely expected from people within football it will still indeed be a bitter blow for the Hammers to know that they’re going to lose one of the best players to have come through their ranks.

Having taken in Rice as a 14-year-old after he was kicked out the doors by his boyhood club Chelsea, the midfielder has gone on to become captain of West Ham as well as a regular in the current England side.

His form and performances over recent seasons have certainly not gone unnoticed with many top clubs being linked with the midfielder, including Arsenal, Newcastle and Bayern Munich, although the former appears to be in the driving seat as things stand.

⚒️ @WestHam captain Declan Rice is the 2022/23 UEFA Europa Conference League Player of the Season!

Congratulations 👏#UECL #UECLfinal

— UEFA Europa Conference League (@europacnfleague) June 8, 2023

Despite the Gunners seemingly already preparing a monster bid for Rice, that hasn’t stopped the Magpies from still holding out hope they could tempt him away from London and up North.

He said: “The only thing I’d say on the competition [for his signature] is that, from those you speak to, let’s take Newcastle for example, very keen, but does Declan Rice want to make that move?

“He seems very settled in London and focussed on maybe more established clubs at this stage of their modern history.”

It’s pretty clear that while Newcastle would likely have the financial clout to afford Rice and potentially turn his head, moving from London to Newcatsle – when he’s lived in the capital his whole life – is a big thing for a young player to do.

Rice will certainly be near the top of Newcastle’s wishlist this summer, however, he’s likely to be pretty far down in terms of a realistic transfer shortlist, instead someone such as Romeo Lavia of Southampton could be more within their reach