Chelsea very interested as Hammers told star man ‘could leave on a free’

Tony Cottee has warned West Ham that Chelsea transfer target Declan Rice could leave the club on a free

It is no secret that Chelsea are massive fans of the Englishman and have been linked with a transfer move ever since Frank Lampard was given the job at the bedinning of last season.

West Ham have no intention of parting with a prized asset, but their hand may be forced if a tempting bid is put on the table and the head of the highly-rated England international is turned.

Cottee wants to see that threat extinguished with the agreeing of fresh terms, or they could risk losing the player for free, Hammers legend Cottee told The Sun: “As far as I’m concerned the only two signings to be bothered about are David Moyes and Declan.

“I’m pretty sure that even now, with his elevated status, Dec will not be earning the same kind of money as the top men in the squad.

“But he’s their most valuable player and in time will become the next captain after Mark Noble.

“I know he signed a five-year deal not so long ago but get him tied down and up there with the bigger earners and make him a bedrock of the future team.

“We all know other teams are interested. West Ham should be acting to secure Declan, so he is not allowed to drift into the last two years of his contract and possibly leave on a free transfer.”

He added: “I assume David is going to try to sign players during this transfer window on three or four-year deals.

“As a player, I would find it a bit unsettling signing for a coach who could be gone by the summer.

“It’s baffling why something hasn’t been done already to get Moyes tied down to a new deal. Moyes is building a team. I like what he is doing, he has proven to be a good fit.

“West Ham should be moving slowly and steadily in one direction, upwards. The yo-yoing needs to stop.

“By the end of the 2020s, West Ham needs to be established as a top-10 club. I hope the board can see the positive effect Moyes is having on this.”

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