by David Moyes says England midfielder Declan Rice will shatter the British transfer record if he ever leaves West Ham.
The 24-year-old put in an excellent individual display as the Hammers fought back to claim a 1-1 draw at in-form Newcastle.
Chelsea this week set a new record of £106.8m by bringing in World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, but Moyes believes the much-admired Rice would go for more than that.
Hammers boss Moyes said: “I don’t know if I need to say the words, I think you can say the words if you look at it the way I saw it. I thought he was a great player in the first half, he really was, he showed a lot of things.
“Without a doubt, Declan is going to be a great player. It will certainly be a British transfer record if he ever leaves West Ham.”
Asked if Rice’s departure was inevitable, Moyes said: “I hope it’s not, I hope he sees his time here.
“But look, there’s a lot of talk about it and when you see what’s happening with prices, I think December is going to blow that (British record) out of the water, that’s for sure, when it comes.”
Rice’s efforts helped the Hammers secure a creditable point over Tyneside on an afternoon when the Carabao Cup finalists missed the suspended Bruno Guimaraes.
They might have gotten off to a better start when, with Joe Willock having already seen a goal correctly ruled out in the first minute following a VAR review, Callum Wilson ended his 10-game drought after he was outplayed by Sean Longstaff.
However, the Hammers equalized through former Newcastle goal Lucas Paquetá and then defended impressively to claim a deserved point.
As a result, the Magpies, who remain unbeaten at home this season, were relegated to fourth in the table and Manchester United replaced them in third place following their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
Head coach Eddie Howe, who confirmed record signing Alexander Isak had sat out under concussion protocols, said: “Because of our form this season, these types of games feel like losses. When you’re in my shoes, it’s important to see the bigger picture and see other things.
“I have to make sure that players don’t overreact to what is a point. People may say it’s a disappointment, but it depends on the context in which you look at it. You can see four draws in five, or you can see 16 games unbeaten.
“I like to be very realistic and look objectively and not overdo it, but I can’t criticize the players for what they’ve delivered this week or what they’ve delivered today.”
Howe made his £45m debut in January by signing Anthony Gordon as a second-half substitute and was happy with what he saw from the 21-year-old.
He said: “I was very happy with it. Your first action here at St James’ Park is an important one. His first pass was brilliant and he injected some life into us at a time when we needed it in the game.
“I’m disappointed in him because we couldn’t get him into the box and see what he can do closer to the goal, but he did very well when he came in.”
