WEST HAM may have already found Declan Rice’s replacement in the form of youngster Freddie Potts.
The midfielder started in West Ham’s pre-season friendly win over Tottenham in Perth, Australia.
Freddie Potts started in West Ham’s pre-season win over TottenhamThe Mega Agency
Freddie Potts, 19, lined up in holding midfield – the position vacated by Declan Rice following his £105million move to Arsenal.
He is the son of Hammers legend Steve Potts and brother of Dan Potts, of newly-promoted Luton.
And he appears to be highly rated by the club after recently signing a new three-year contract.
Potts joined West Ham aged six and made his first-team debut in December 2021 as a substitute in the 1-0 loss against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League.
He has made three senior appearances in total after playing twice in the run to Europa Conference League glory last season.
Potts now has his sights set on nailing down a regular spot in the squad after putting pen to paper.
He said: “It’s a really good feeling to sign a new three-year contract. It’s another positive step forward for me in my career.
“I’ve been working towards this for a while and feel my performances for the 21s last season and being in and around the first team have helped me get to this point.
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“I’m just really excited to see how it all pans out for me over the coming years.”
West Ham have also identified Joao Palhinha as a replacement for Rice but had a £40million bid rejected by Fulham this week.
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