David Moyes has admitted that the club is planning for the possibility of midfielder Declan Rice not being at West Ham next season.
The 24-year-old has been in excellent form in recent weeks, helping to lead West Ham out of immediate relegation trouble thanks to wins over Fulham and Bournemouth and a dramatic draw with Arsenal.
The 2022/23 campaign, however, is looking more and more likely to be Rice’s final at the London Stadium, with a number of clubs interested in his services. 90min reported back in February that Manchester City have renewed their interest in Rice, while Arsenal and Chelsea are also keen to sign the talented midfielder.
While the club is expected to play hardball over a transfer fee, Moyes has admitted that he hopes Rice would chose to re-sign with the London club.
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“He would be missed by any club, so any club who didn’t have him would miss him and we certainly would, partly because he is a big part.
“But my hope somewhere is that Dec thinks this is the best place for him to be and if somebody doesn’t come up with the right amount of money, it will continue to be the place he is as well. The club have made that pretty plain, but I hope we can continue to get the best out of Dec.”
Rice has made no secret of his desire to play Champions League football, stating as such during last year’s World Cup.
“One hundred per cent I want to play in the Champions League. For the last two or three years I’ve been saying that. I’ve been playing consistently well for my club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies.
“You only get one career and at the end you want to look back at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in.”
Despite the likely departure becoming an open secret as the season has worn on, Rice’s performances suggest that his focus has remained unwavering – a sentiment that Moyes shares:
“What Dec has given back to West Ham, whether it is the club or the supporters, the team, and more importantly himself and his family, he has shown he is absolutely dead on, not missing a thing.
“No question marks can be asked about Declan Rice. He celebrates with the supporters, he talks to them, he is with them, in the dressing room he leads the team. If there is one thing you say about Declan Rice, whether he leaves or stays, he has been 100 per cent committed this year.”
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