Will Liverpool & Arsenal-linked Rice be sold in January? West Ham boss Moyes addresses transfer talk

• Midfielder starring for Hammers
• Linked with Premier League heavyweights
• No deal to be done in winter window

WHAT HAPPENED? The England international midfielder has grown accustomed to dominating transfer gossip columns, with Manchester United and Chelsea having also being credited with holding interest in securing his signature. West Ham have always been reluctant sellers, as they believe they have a player worth over £100 million ($121m) on their hands, and Moyes is adamant that no deal will be done in the current window despite the Hammers finding themselves dragged into a Premier League relegation battle this season.

WHAT THEY SAID: Moyes told reporters of the latest Rice rumours after seeing his side edge past Brentford 1-0 in the third round of the FA Cup: “The transfer bit, I'm sure you can put away because that won't be happening in January, that's for sure, and it never was. What I will say is I would have loved to have thought we could have wrapped Declan [Rice] up and given him time (off) but overall, he's such a huge influence and also the level of the game. Maybe if we'd drawn a lower-league team... mind you, I tried that last year at Kidderminster and I needed to bring Dec on to score me the goal to get through!”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Rice, who impressed for England again at the 2022 World Cup finals in Qatar, has taken in 24 appearances for West Ham across all competitions this season, with Moyes adding on a player that is rarely rested: “Dec is exactly the same [as Harry Kane]. He wants to play all the games. He's whispering in my ear, 'Am I playing in Europe?' I'm saying, 'I'm thinking about not playing you'. And he's saying, 'Well I'd rather start'. Maybe I was thinking of giving him 20 minutes, 30 minutes, but he wants to play.”

IN THREE PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT? Rice is only tied to terms at West Ham through to 2024 and while that agreement does include the option for a further 12-month extension, there has been plenty of speculation to suggest that the Hammers will cash in on the talented 23-year-old over the summer as he looks to find a Champions League stage to grace.