West Ham manager David Moyes insists that Declan Rice‘s future at the club is not dependent on whether the Hammers qualify for the Champions League this season.

Reports this weekend have suggested that Manchester United are confident of sealing a deal for the England international next summer if West Ham don’t finish in the top four, but Moyes refuted that suggestion:

“Well, Declan’s under a long contract here, under a long length of contract. So from that point of view we’ve not got a big panic on. We will keep Declan as long as we possibly can, we’ve no intentions of selling him. If we ever had to, I’ve said already many, many times what it would be – shoot to the moon.”

“Overall he’s done a great job. Hopefully he keeps driving the team on and I hope we continue to add good players to play with and around Declan. My job is to keep building the club and build this level up and getting Declan players around him who are of a similar level and capable of playing at a really high level.”

As Moyes says, the Irons are perfectly positioned when it comes to Rice. The 22-year-old is tied down to a deal that expires in 2024, with an option for a further year.

If a team such as United, City or Chelsea do make a move for the midfielder at the end of the season, then they would have to meet West Ham’s asking price, which stands above the £100m mark.

Following the Hammers’ win against Crystal Palace yesterday, it isn’t as though Moyes’ side are out of contention for the top four either, so they are currently holding all the cards in terms of Rice’s future.