Arsenal have a new chant for Declan Rice that will haunt West Ham chief David Sullivan especially after a warning from his manager.
West Ham are up two to one in terms of wins over Declan Rice and Arsenal this season.
But the defeat inflicted on the Hammers at the London Stadium on Sunday February 11th 2024 is a day to forget for everyone connected with West Ham – and one the Gunners and Rice will remember forever.
West Ham fans already had to suffer Arsenal supporters goading them about taking away their beloved captain.
Then they had to sit and watch Rice smash home a stunning 25-yard effort in Arsenal’s 6-0 win over his old club.
The ignominy of hearing Gunners fans then mock their chant ’10 more years, 10 more years Declan Rice’ while holding aloft shirts with his name and number on throughout the match stung too.
Rice a revelation for Arsenal just as Hammers fans predicted
Rice has been a revelation for Arsenal this season and is on course to comfortably win their player of the year.
Just like West Ham fans told their London rivals he would when many of them were questioning his £105m price tag.
Someone else who questioned that price tag was West Ham boss David Moyes.
The experienced Scot repeatedly publicly stated Rice was worth ‘at least £150m’. He was duly scoffed at by the press and many Arsenal supporters.
Moyes said ‘I told you so’ recently when highlighting that he felt West Ham could and should have got more for their former talisman.
West Ham’s majority owner David Sullivan – who is ultimately in charge of all club business – clearly didn’t heed Moyes’ warning either by selling him for £105m. Even if it was a record British deal at the time.
Two weeks later that was broken by Moises Caicedo’s £115m move from Brighton to Chelsea.
Arsenal’s new Rice chant will haunt Sullivan
Sullivan was in a difficult position as Rice wanted to leave, had been promised he could go for the right price and there was no indication Arsenal – or rival bidders Man City – could have got to anything like £150m or more.
Rice is helping make all the difference to his new club’s title charge this season.
And Arsenal’s new chant for Rice will haunt West Ham chief Sullivan after that warning from Moyes.
Gunners supporters have in the past week started a new ditty for Rice which makes it clear they think they got him on the cheap from the Hammers. Half price in fact.
It goes: “We got him half price, we got him half price, Declan Rice, we got him half price.”
Was Rice really half price?
A penny for the thoughts of Moyes and Sullivan on hearing that.
Could West Ham have held their nerve and pushed for more? Who knows.
Many did feel at the time Rice was worth at least £125m.
And there did seem to be a lot of money swishing around certain clubs last summer.
Historically the Hammers have been terrible at getting value in player sales.
This does not quite fit into that category given the sum the Hammers did receive. But it will undoubtedly niggle in the minds of the manager and owners now it’s being rubbed in their face.
One big question it also raises is that if Rice is worth £200m – then how much for Rodri?