London – David Moyes says there is a "good chance" that in-demand Declan Rice will leave West Ham in the summer transfer window, admitting the club are making contingency plans.
Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are all understood to be interested in the England midfielder, who is valued at around £100 million (R2.4 billion).
"We honestly hope he stays," West Ham manager Moyes said on Friday. "We'd love for him to be a West Ham player, but we are aware that might not be the case at the end of the season.
"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."
Moyes has been unable to formulate plans for next season while West Ham's Premier League status remains unclear, although last week's win over Manchester United has left them all but safe.
"The planning has been put on the back burner," added the Scot. "It's always been about making sure you're a Premier League club. Your planning will go completely if you weren't.
"A lot of it will only start to go into place once we've realised we have kept our Premier League place. 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."
West Ham, seven points above the relegation zone, head to Brentford on Sunday on the back of Thursday's 2-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the first leg of their Europa Conference League semi-final.
AFP