Lopetegui may already have sold “incredible” rice replacement in West Ham

West Ham Made about 142 million £ value over the period 2023/24Which has since continued to finance many large spending windows for hammers, as they seem to turn their identity into one side based on possession and settle in European areas every season.

Of course their greatest loss was Declan riceWHERE joined Arsenal for about 100 million £ In the summer of 2023, after making 245 appearances for the clubscoring 15 goals, providing 13 assists and a total of 20,580 minutes in his time at the club.

Departure of rice still raises issues for West Ham at present, with the middle section struggling to hit the balance, first under Julen Lopetegui, but now and under the new coach, Graham Potter.

West Ham’s middle -field issues from Rice’s departure

Ever since Rice left the club, West Ham tried to replace him with multiple medium-field signatures, bringing Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse during the 2023/24 season, before adding Guido Rodriguez and Carlos Soler in the era 2024/25.

None of these plates has replaced the basic features that rice brought to the team, with his raw sport, the ability to cover the ground and challenge duels, as well as bring the ball forward when he is deeply broken, to get the West Ham to speed.

Alvarez has proven that he is walking in many cases a disciplinary tight error, Rodriguez was more remarkable for the like and Ward-Prewse spent the first half of 2024/25 for a loan.

But, perhaps the best replacement of rice was there throughout, which was sent for a loan during the West Ham 2023/24 season before being sold last summer, participating in Southampton with a fee of about 18 million £.

West Ham may have sold rice replacement

Flynn Downes was sold after just 35 appearances for the first West Ham team, with most of the time spent on a loan after joining West Ham by Ipswich in 2022.

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Rice, who left in 2023, could be the best time for the minutes of the fast-track down, giving him a more important role in the team.

Many of the previously mentioned features, which were lost with rice, including the ability to move on, could protect sports and protect defense, as well as mobility and engine to pass and contribute to all phases, It could have been that was addressed with Downes.

Since moving permanently, it has made 20 appearances for Southampton this seasonRating once, contributing to two clean leaves and a total of 1,536 minutes.

In his time at Swansea, Russell Martin (who signed Downes from West Ham For Southampton) described the English middle as “incredible“, praising his interest rate, sports, creative ability and ability to allow others to perform their roles.

This does not mean that it was the only answer to replacement of rice, but given the circumstances, it would be a good idea to apply Downes alongside a new signature in order to provide the team balance, not to completely strip its team its central mobility .

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