West Ham may have already signed Declan Rice’s replacement, and he cost just £715k. West Ham United may well have a ready-made replacement for Declan Rice at the club.
If we’re all being honest , West Ham have never recovered from selling Declan Rice to Arsenal in the summer of 2023. It has actually been claimed that the Hammers dressing room really suffered after his exit, turning into a quiet and unhappy one almost overnight.
Rice joined the Gunners in a £105 million deal – and that was seen as good business for the Hammers at the time.
However, West Ham never properly replaced the 26-year-old at the London Stadium. Our painful lack of pace, power and athleticism in the middle of the park has really held us back.
The way that the Hammers have defended as a team over the past 18 months has been truly awful to watch.
And it’s no coincidence that West Ham have shipped 121 goals in 63 Premier League game since Rice’s exit. If the Hammers are to move forward under Graham Potter, the addition of a powerful, box-to-box midfielder will be a necessity.
But do we already have the man for the job at the London Stadium? Mohamadou Kante may be Declan Rice’s replacement at West Ham
West Ham brought Mohamadou Kante to the London Stadium from Paris FC in the summer of 2024.
The Hammers signed Kante last summer for €500k plus €400k in potential add-ons (The Athletic). That brings the total amount West Ham may have to pay for the 19-year-old to around £715,000.
Mohamadou Kante is very highly rated out in his homeland, and the hopes are that he will be Les Bleus’ next big star.
Now, on paper, Kante has all of the attributes needed to fill the void left behind by Declan Rice.
The French teenager has pace and power in abundance, and is well-known for his ball-carrying ability. Kante is energetic, dynamic, athletic and he has stamina to burn.
The one variable here is that he isn’t proven in the Premier League. Some players find it impossible to thrive in England’s top flight, what with its ferocious speed and intensity.
Mohamadou Kante a risk worth taking
There is, of course, the danger than Mohamadou Kante is nowhere near good enough to play Premier League football for West Ham.
And perhaps he will go down as yet another flop signed by Tim Steidten. However, £715k is a small price to pay for the gamble that the young Frenchman could become a star.
Let’s face it, if he does fail, it won’t even be that much, as he wouldn’t have met the criteria for the add-ons to kick in. The powerful teenager has the profile that we’re crying out for in central midfield.
West Ham may well have our Declan Rice replacement already at the club in the form of Mohamadou Kante. Only time will tell though. One thing’s for sure, it will be very interesting to keep a close eye on his progress over the Course of the next year or so.
