Declan Rice fee increases as Man Utd and Chelsea miss out on £100m "bargain"

David Moyes has hinted West Ham will only allow Declan Rice to leave for a fee in excess of £100million and has told suitors Chelsea and Manchester United that they have missed out on a 'bargain.'

Rice, 22, was heavily linked with a move away from the London Stadium in the summer but ultimately chose to remain at the club.

The midfielder has impressed ever since his debut for the Hammers in 2017 and has gone on to establish himself as a key player for both West Ham and England, impressing during the European Championships.

Chelsea are understood to be long-time admirers of Rice, but there is thought to be some reluctance about re-signing a player for a huge fee having released him from their academy as a teenager.

United are also in the market for a new defensive midfielder as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks to bring strength to the base of his side, with Rice one of the names on his wish list.

But Chelsea, United or any other potential suitors will need to be prepared to break the bank to sign Rice, with Moyes claiming he was available before the summer for a fee of £100million.

Following his impressive performances at the Euros and at the start of this season, that figure has now gone up.

Do you think West Ham can keep hold of David Moyes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Asked if he has concerns about teams coming in for Rice, Moyes told Sky Sports: "No I don’t, because there was a bargain to be got with Declan at £100m. That bargain’s now gone.

"So we have a lot of really good players at this football club. I think while you’re building and developing, people might always come and look at your players.

"But it’s good that they are because that tells us that they’re doing well."

Rice is understood to be keen to have a crack at the Champions League sooner rather than later, but for the time being he seems happy enough under Moyes at West Ham.

"The manager has just said to me to go out there and do what I do best and given me the confidence to go out there and perform," Rice told the club’s official website.

"To be fair, that’s all you can as for from a manager. I’m really lucky that I’ve got him as a manager and that we’ve got a really close relationship.

"Captaining West Ham in Europe is a really special moment every time, putting the armband on and walking out with thousands of us in the stadium."

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