Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has suggested Tomas Soucek’s likely permanent move from Slavia Prague could help limit the loss of Declan Rice leaving West Ham United.
Soucek has stated his desires to remain in east London during a recent interview with the Evening Standard, who believe the Irons will pay £16.5million at the end of the season to purchase the 25-year-old from his parent side should the club stay up.
Other reports have suggested the Hammers’ agreement with Slavia Prague is £13m, and that David Moyes has noticed comparisons between the Czech international and his former midfielder Marouane Fellaini.
Soucek has featured 11 times for West Ham since moving to England on loan in the January window, in which the 25-cap ace has helped the Irons move to within touching distance of Premier League safety with three goals in his last five outings.
His ability to help keep the opponent from scoring has also appeared to catch Redknapp’s attention, having averaged 2.4 successful tackles from 3.7 attempts per 90 minutes in claret and blue, on top of 2.1 interceptions, 3.0 clearances, 0.7 blocks and a staggering 6.6 aerial duels won from 10.6 attempts, per WhoScored data.
As such, Redknapp believes Soucek could help Moyes and the Irons from deteriorating should England international Rice leave the London Stadium in the upcoming transfer window.
“West Ham’s owners will be delighted but at the same time frustrated,” Redknapp noted in his column for the Daily Mail. “This isn’t a squad who should be securing safety with a game or two to go.
“Now that their Premier League status is all but assured, I’m wondering what’s next for Declan Rice.
“He is the beating heart of that team, alongside Mark Noble. Maybe the emergence of Tomas Soucek will mean it is not the end of the world for West Ham if Rice leaves for pastures new.”
Can Soucek make up for selling Rice?
Yes
No
Rice has been hotly linked with a return to former academy side Chelsea in the summer, with Frank Lampard looking to utilise the 21-year-old as one of his centre-backs next term.
Lampard could even look to include as many as three players in the deal to take Rice to Stamford Bridge due to the mammoth price tag West Ham are expected to demand, with Football Insider reporting one or more of Fikayo Tomori, Kurt Zouma and Michy Batshuayi may be included.
Rice has started all 36 of West Ham’s Premier League games this season, in which he has averaged 3.0 successful tackles from 4.4 attempts, plus 2.0 interceptions, 1.4 clearances, 1.2 blocks and has won 1.4 of 2.4 aerial duels per 90 minutes.
