I wouldn't sell Rice for £100m - Moyes

Published on: 07 March 2021

Rice has made 139 appearances for West Ham

West Ham boss David Moyes says he would not sell midfielder Declan Rice for £100m.

Chelsea and Manchester United have been linked withexternal-link the 22-year-old England international.

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan has reportedly valued Riceexternal-link at £100m.

Moyes said Rice is worth "far, far more", adding: "I certainly wouldn't put a price on it. I wouldn't be sanctioning anything like that, that's for sure."

Rice has played every minute of West Ham's 26 Premier League games this season, helping them to seventh in the table.

Moyes, whose side host Leeds at London Stadium on Monday, said: "I have watched the prices of some players who have gone to clubs recently and they could not lace Declan Rice's boots."

Rice joined West Ham aged 14 after being released by Chelsea, made his debut as an 18-year-old in 2017 and has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the league.

A top-four finish would secure Champions League football for West Ham next season, but Moyes said keeping Rice - whose contract runs until 2024 - is not dependent on their final league position.

"Do we need the Champions League to keep Declan? No, because Declan is under contract first and foremost, so he can't go anywhere no matter what," Moyes said.

"I keep saying it and I hope people know that when I say something, I mean it.

"We've not had an offer for Declan Rice and I hope we don't get one. And you've got an idea now of where we'd need to be if it was even going to be considered.

"If we could finish in some sort of European position, it would be progress. And that would be progress for Declan Rice as well because he's been at West Ham while they've been bobbing around the bottom, so this is new for Declan as well.

"Declan seems very settled and in fact he is captaining West Ham; he plays for England. I want to keep Declan thinking that his ambitions can be achieved here at West Ham, and I will have to keep pushing that and keep pushing that with the owners as well."

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Source: bbc.com

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