Moyes banking on keeping Rice for the future
DAVID MOYES has warned Chelsea that it will take “Bank of England money” to prise Declan Rice away from West Ham.
The Hammers manager has already said that the England midfielder will eventually take over the armband from Mark Noble, 33, whose contract has less than 12 months to run.
The club go into the game at Manchester United tonight with their Premier League status effectively secured under Moyes and the Scot is now steeling himself for the transfer window ahead.
Chelsea have long been linked with a move for 21-year-old Rice – possibly involving Ross Barkley and Michy Batshuayi going the other way.
But Moyes insists that Rice is not for sale.
Moyes said: “I’m confident he will be here because he’s under contract. But even the biggest clubs sometimes sell their best players because they get the right value.
“My intention is not to sell Declan, my intention is to keep him. But we can’t stop other clubs making offers.
“If it does come it will need to be Bank of England money.”
Moreover, Moyes plans to launch a major summer charm offensive to persuade Rice he was right to commit his future to the club until 2024 when he signed new terms in December 2018. Moyes said: “I see him helping us, and I hope he sees what we are trying to do.
“We’re going to try to add better players and things which would make him excited about being at West Ham in the future.
“He is a future captain of West Ham. When Mark Noble comes to an end then hopefully it will be Declan Rice.”