Rice fee would 'blow British record out of water'

3 years ago 141

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Declan Rice will command a fee which will not just smash the British record but "blow it out of the water" if he leaves West Ham, says boss David Moyes.

England midfielder Rice, 24, has played 224 times for the Hammers since his 2017 debut and now captains the club.

"Undoubtedly Declan is going to be a top player," said Moyes.

"He'll be a British transfer record if he ever leaves West Ham."

Rice, who joined the Hammers youth set-up in 2014, only has 18 months left on his contract and has reportedly turned down new deals.

Asked after Saturday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Newcastle if Rice's departure was inevitable, Moyes said: "I hope it's not, I hope he sees his time here."

Argentina World Cup winner Fernandez, 22, had only made 29 appearances in Europe, having joined Benfica last summer from River Plate.

Rice has been a senior international since 2018, first with the Republic of Ireland and then England, while Fernandez only made his Argentina debut in September.

Moyes said: "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."

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