REPORT: Club confirms £80million player will sign for Chelsea
It’s no longer news that Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is keen on signing West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, who is reportedly valued at around £80million by West Ham.
According to Manchester United legend Patrice Evra, West Ham know they are going to lose Declan Rice to Chelsea.
The midfielder was outstanding for the Hammers on Sunday as they beat Sheffield United 1-0 in the Premier League.
“Moyes has given him the captaincy, so for me, it symbols the future of West Ham. It’s not easy to put Mark Noble on the bench,” Evra said on Sky Sports.
“They know they are going to lose him, because many big clubs are interested in Declan, but right now, he’s the man of West Ham. I’m not surprised.
“I knew this player would never allow his head to get bigger because he’s so focused and so humble, and you can see him smiling – he’s happy, what a joy.
“I’m very pleased for him.”
Meanwhile, West Ham boss David Moyes believes Rice is underappreciated by fans of other Premier League clubs amid interest from Chelsea.
Moyes said: “The big thing is that he is improving. He is learning an awful lot.
“His performance for England the other night was exceptional. His performance was so good.
“He is picking up from good people like Mark Noble, Harry Kane, I think for Declan it is continuing to learn and seeing what good practice looks like. “We are trying to get him to take more responsibility.
“I couldn’t tell you [why he’s under-appreciated by fans of other clubs] but I can only tell you the manager of West Ham thinks he is terrific.”