Declan Rice will set a British record fee if he leaves West Ham at the end of the season, David Moyes believes.
The Hammers captain has long been linked with a move across London to Chelsea, while Arsenal have reportedly made the England international their prime target ahead of next season.
Chelsea recently set a new British transfer record with the deadline day captain of Enzo Fernandez, splashing a reported £107million on the Argentina World Cup winner, but Moyes does not expect that record to stand for long.
In fact, he believes a deal for Rice would not only surpass that figure but would “blow it out of the water”.
“Undoubtedly Declan is going to be a top player. He’ll be a British transfer record if he ever leaves West Ham,” he told the BBC following West Ham’s 1-1 draw against Newcastle United.
“There’s a lot of talk about it and when you see what’s going about for the prices, I think Dec will be blowing that out of the water, that’s for sure, when it comes around.”
Asked whether he felt an exit for Rice was inevitable, Moyes added: “I hope it’s not. I hope he sees his time here.”
Rice has 18 months remaining on his contract at the London Stadium, meaning a sale would be required next season to avoid losing him on a free transfer in 2024.
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