Chelsea may have to break another transfer record to sign Declan Rice whom Enzo Fernandez admires, according to West Ham manager David Moyes.
A video interview of Fernandez during the 2022 World Cup in which he spoke about his admiration of Rice has recently gone viral on social media.
“I try to watch as much football and learn a little bit from everyone,” the Argentina international said in the video (via talkSPORT).
“I like Rice of England, I try to watch him and learn.”
Obviously, Rice is one of the highly-rated midfielders in the Premier League, so it is hardly a surprise that a fellow midfield talent wants to learn a thing or two from his game.
What is more interesting, however, is that the pair could play together at Chelsea next season.
According to a recent report from The Telegraph, Chelsea are ready to compete with Arsenal for Rice’s signature in the summer despite Fernandez’s arrival.
But any move for the England international could prove expensive as West Ham boss Moyes recently argued that Rice would cost even more than Fernandez who currently tops the Premier League’s most expensive signing chart.
“I hope it’s not, I hope he sees his time here [at West Ham],” the manager said when asked about Rice’s potential exit (via the Independent).
“But look, there’s a lot of talk about it and when you see what’s going about for the prices, I think Dec will be blowing that (British record) out of the water, that’s for sure, when it comes around.”
Obviously, since Rice has entered the final 18 months of his contract, West Ham, while reportedly having the option to extend the midfielder’s contract for a further year, may eventually have to consider lowering their demands.
Especially after the player himself expressed his desire to play in the Champions League, cashing out for maximum profit in the summer would be a sensible option for West Ham.
Several reports suggest Rice is valued at around £70million, which is significantly below the £107m Chelsea spent on Fernandez.
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