West Ham: £67.5m star's exit could 'cause problem' at London Stadium

West Ham will struggle to sign players like Leeds United star Raphinha if they lose Declan Rice this summer, claims former Premier League midfielder Carlton Palmer.

The east London club have been heavily linked with Raphinha, while talk of Rice departing Rush Green refuses to go away.

According to Spanish outlet SPORT, West Ham are interested in signing Raphinha this summer but face competition from Barcelona.

Links with Raphinha are not new, with 90min reporting back in January that the Hammers had a £50m approach for the Brazilian winger turned down by Leeds.

As for Rice, his name has also been in the headlines recently. As per the Evening Standard, the £67.5m-rated 23-year-old is a long-term target for Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea.

With West Ham slapping a £150m price tag on his head, though, getting him out of the London Stadium is not going to be easy.

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All things considered, it looks like West Ham will be able to keep hold of Rice for at least another year. However, if they fail to do so, Palmer thinks it could impact their chances of signing Raphinha and other top players.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the ex-Leeds and Southampton star said: “West Ham are in that crossroads position, but it’s going to be a step up from Leeds, where Leeds are. But if they lose Declan Rice, then it’s going to be a problem for them to attract the top players to come to the football club.”

It is going to be difficult, regardless of what happens with Rice. For a Brazilian like Raphinha, it is probably a dream to play for a club like Barcelona and follow in the footsteps of compatriots Ronaldinho and Rivaldo.

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