Moyes says 'good chance' skipper Rice leaves West Ham

AFP

West Ham United are hopeful of keeping midfielder Declan Rice but there is "a good chance" he could leave the Premier League side at the end of the season, manager David Moyes said amid reports linking the England international with top sides.

Skipper Rice, 24, whose contract expires at the end of the campaign, has long been on the radar of the Premier League's big sides. Speculation has intensified in recent months about a big-money move to Arsenal, Chelsea or Manchester United.

"We honestly hope Dec stays, that's the biggest thing. We would love for him to be a West Ham player, but we're aware that might not be the case at the end of the season," Moyes told reporters ahead of Sunday's league trip to Brentford.

"So that's one of the scenarios around planning. There are plans that we have Dec here but we're also fully aware there is a good chance we won't have him."

West Ham are 15th in the standings with 37 points and are aiming to reach a first European final since 1976 after beating Dutch side AZ Alkmaar in the opening leg of their Conference League semi-final.

Moyes said the club, who beat United 1-0 last weekend, are fully focused on staying in the top-flight and that planning for next season had been put on the back-burner.

"A lot of it will only start to go into place once we've realised we have kept our Premier League place," Moyes said.

"We're watching a lot of players, a lot of games, doing a lot of scouting, but the truth is the focus has been on staying in the Premier League."

More from Sports News

  • Ireland beat India for first time in international cricket

    Abhishek Sharma's 19-ball fifty went in vain as world champions India were surprisingly beaten by Ireland for the first time in international cricket, slumping to a 34-run defeat in the first Twenty20 in Belfast on Friday.

  • Usyk vacates titles before 'last dance'

    Oleksandr Usyk said on Friday he had vacated his WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight championships to pursue a final fight.

  • England roar back in second test against New Zealand

    England roared back into contention on the second day of the third and deciding test against New Zealand with Ben Duckett's rapid century helping his side to 223-2 after three wickets for returning captain Ben Stokes helped to dismiss the visitors for 438 at a sizzling Trent Bridge.

  • Williams to face Australia's Joint in Wimbledon comeback

    American great Serena Williams will face Australian 20-year-old Maya Joint in the first round of her eagerly awaited return to Wimbledon, a potentially tricky tie for the seven-time champion playing at the tournament for the first time since 2022.

  • Australia reach World Cup knockouts, Turkey beat USA

    Australia booked their spot in the knockout rounds of the World Cup on Thursday after a cagey draw against Paraguay, who are set to qualify as a third-placed finisher, while Turkey beat USA 3-2, scoring the winner with virtually the last kick of the match.

Coming Up