Bayern Munich have announced that midfielder Jamal Musiala has tested positive for coronavirus.

The 18-year-old was absent from training on Tuesday and it was confirmed by Bayern on Wednesday he has contracted the virus.

Musiala will serve a period of self-isolation and is set to sit out Saturday's Bundesliga trip to Bochum, as well as next week's Champions League last-16 first leg with Salzburg.

That is a blow for Julian Nagelsmann as Musiala has played in 27 of Bayern's 30 matches in all competitions this season – only five others have featured more regularly.

The Germany international has been directly involved in 10 goals – six of his own and four assists – which is the sixth-most of any Bayern player in 2021-22.

Musiala's 53 dribbles completed this season, meanwhile, is behind only Leroy Sane (71) and Alphonso Davies (83).

Nagelsmann is well accustomed to dealing with player absentees through COVID-19, however, having had to make do without nine first-teamers at the start of the year.

Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe remain arguably the two most sought-after players in world football.

The pair, who boast 43 goals in 50 games between them this season, have inevitably been linked with an array of Europe's top clubs ahead of the next transfer window.

And it may well be that one replaces the other at PSG in the coming months.

TOP STORY – HAALAND AMONG PSG TARGETS

L'Equipe reports that Haaland is one of a handful of players being eyed up by PSG, who are growing increasingly concerned that Mbappe will join Real Madrid on a free transfer.

However, the Ligue 1 giants are said to have made tying down Mbappe to fresh terms their main priority between now and the end of the season.

Should the World Cup winner depart, PSG would then have to see off competition from the likes of Madrid, Barcelona and several Premier League teams for Haaland's signature.

ROUND-UP

- Harry Kane failed in his attempt to force through a move from Tottenham last year, but Fabrizio Romano claims the striker is now happy to stay under Antonio Conte.

- After further enhancing his reputation by firing Senegal to Africa Cup of Nations glory, Goal reports that Sadio Mane is open to leaving Liverpool ahead of next season.

- According to Fabrizio Romano, Madrid are eager to finalise terms with Luka Modric over a new deal that will run through for an additional season until the end of 2022-23.

- Ajax are prepared to tempt Barcelona into allowing Sergino Dest to return to the club by offering Nicolas Tagliafico in exchange. That is according to reports from Spain.

- Calciomercato reports that Milan are close to agreeing a four-year extension for full-back Theo Hernandez, who is currently due to be out of contract in July 2024.

Inter forward Alexis Sanchez served up a reminder of his talent before expressing frustration at a lack of opportunities under Simone Inzaghi this season.

Sanchez produced an inspired performance as the Nerazzurri responded to their derby defeat by Milan with a 2-0 win over Roma, advancing to the Coppa Italia semi-finals.

After Edin Dzeko opened the scoring at San Siro, Chile international Sanchez sealed victory with a ferocious 25-yard effort midway through the second half.

The former Barcelona, Manchester United and Arsenal forward also registered game-high tallies of 13 crosses and five key passes.

Sanchez was making his 23rd appearance of the season in all competitions, but only his sixth start.

While acknowledging the team must come first, he spoke of his frustration at mainly having to settle for cameos.

He said: "I always want to play. The more I play, the better I feel. I want to do the best for the team, it's difficult to play five or 10 minutes and do well."

Looking at Inter's current circumstances, Sanchez told Sport Mediaset: “We know that we played better than Milan in the derby, but we shouldn't have made those mistakes.

"We're staying calm as we're still top [of Serie A] and we want to continue down our path."

Meanwhile, Inzaghi expressed delight at his players' response to their disappointing weekend defeat at the hands of Milan.

The Inter head coach said: "The boys were very good, it was not an easy match. Roma are a quality team, with an excellent squad. We controlled the pitch very well and deserved [to reach] this semi-final.

"I congratulated the boys because to play a match with such strong personality two and a half days after the setback in the derby wasn't easy."

The only sour note for the hosts was an ankle injury sustained by defender Alessandro Bastoni during the first half.

Inzaghi hopes that any spell on the sidelines for the Italy international will be minimal.

"I hope it is nothing serious," Inzaghi said. "The doctors will do the necessary checks, we hope not to lose him for too long because he is really too important to us."

Alexis Sanchez's wonderful strike helped Inter reach the Coppa Italia semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Roma.

Edin Dzeko opened the scoring against his old club with a neat volley inside the first two minutes at San Siro.

Then, Sanchez doubled the advantage midway through the second half with a magnificent effort from 25 yards.

It was enough to give Simone Inzaghi's side a fourth victory in five meetings with their opponents at this stage of the competition.

The third-highest scorer in Roma’s history behind Francesco Totti (307) and Roberto Pruzzo (138), Dzeko scored 119 goals in 260 appearances for the Giallorossi in all competitions between 2015 and 2021.

The Bosnia international came back to haunt his old club after just two minutes, volleying home brilliantly from Ivan Perisic's inviting cross.

Inter went close to doubling their lead as Nicolo Barella rattled the crossbar from distance, while Dzeko and Milan Skriniar saw headers saved by Rui Patricio.

At the other end, Samir Handanovic sprung into action with superb reflexes to deny Nicolo Zaniolo from the visitors' first attack.

The hosts lost Alessandro Bastoni to injury just before half-time. Along with Inzaghi and Lautaro Martinez, the defender faced disciplinary action earlier in the day for his conduct during the derby defeat by Milan at the weekend.

On returning to his former club, Jose Mourinho and his Roma side threatened to find an equaliser after the break.

Jordan Veretout's long-range effort was not too far off target, while Handanovic did brilliantly to scramble across and tip Sergio Oliveira's deflected strike over the bar.

But Inter doubled their advantage and sealed the tie in emphatic fashion in the 68th minute, with Sanchez unleashing a rasping drive into the top left corner.

Stefano Pioli says Zlatan Ibrahimovic is like "a lion in a cage" in his quest to return from injury, but revealed he will not be available for Milan's Coppa Italia quarter-final showdown with Lazio.

His side's top scorer in Serie A this season with eight goals, Ibrahimovic is currently sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury, having limped off during the first half of last month's stalemate with Juventus.

The 40-year-old's absence was evident for most of last weekend's derby with Inter; the Rossoneri registering just one shot on goal until Olivier Giroud's quickfire double completed a dramatic turnaround.

Milan welcome Lazio to San Siro in the last eight of the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, although it comes too soon for Ibrahimovic.

But Pioli insists the striker is doing everything in his power to return as soon as possible.

"Zlatan is a lion in a cage," he told Sportmediaset. "His motivation is to help the team on the pitch. 

"Tomorrow, he won't be [available]; we'll see for the next ones."

Pioli also praised the contribution of Giroud, who has drawn criticism from some sections despite taking his tally to seven for the campaign with that derby brace, while also becoming the first Frenchman to net twice against Inter in Serie A.

When asked whether his display against the Nerazzurri deflected the criticism, the head coach said: "I don't know, the detractors are always there. What matters is the trust we have. 

"He is proving to be the footballer for whom he was purchased. [He is] a valuable player and a person of great depth who is making a great contribution to the team."

Raphael Veiga and Dudu recorded a goal and an assist each as Palmeiras eased past Al Ahly 2-0 in the FIFA Club World Cup semi-finals at Al Nahyan Stadium.

After losing to Tigres UANL in last year's semi-final before being beaten on penalties by Al Ahly in the third-place game, it will be a relief to Palmeiras to have reached the final.

Veiga opened the scoring six minutes before half-time, and turned provider for Dudu to double the Copa Libertadores' champions lead early in the second half. Chelsea or Al-Hilal await Palmeiras.

Al Ahly were missing some key players, though started Egypt international Amr Al Soleya despite the midfielder playing an hour of the Africa Cup of Nations final on Sunday.

He had two attempts during the first half but both came after Dudu had set Veiga away in the 39th minute, with the latter finishing well across Aly Lotfi.

Veiga returned the favour when he played in Dudu four minutes after the restart – the winger racing down the right before firing high into the net.

Another disappointed AFCON finalist, Hamdi Fathi, came on as part of a triple substitution following the second goal, and Al Ahly finally stepped up their intensity, having three times as many shots in the first 15 minutes of the second half (six) than they had in the entire first period.

Mohamed Sherif had the ball in the net in the 72nd minute when he followed up a shot that was spilled by Weverton, but it was disallowed for offside.

Salt was rubbed into Al Ahly wounds further with 10 minutes to go when VAR deemed Ayman Ashraf's reckless challenge on Rony worthy of a red card.

What does it mean? Palmeiras improve on last time out

It is a rare occurrence for the CONMEBOL representative to fail to make the Club World Cup final, so losing to Mexican side Tigres last year was a big blow for Palmeiras, as was only finishing fourth after defeat to Al Ahly.

Abel Ferreira's men always looked relatively comfortable here though, despite Al Ahly hitting the crossbar late on. Palmeiras are now the eighth different Brazilian side to reach the final of the Club World Cup, with Flamengo in 2019 the last team from the country to progress to the competition’s showcase.

Palmeiras on a roll

Palmeiras may have been expected to dominate their opponents with flair and skill, and in the first half they mostly did just that, but the second half was a solid example of keeping the opposition at arm's length to close out the win, ideal for knockout tournament football.

They are now unbeaten in their last 10 games across all competitions (W7 D3), since a 1-0 league defeat to Fortaleza back in November.

Another semi-final defeat for Al Ahly

Al Ahly are making their seventh appearance at the Club World Cup, but are yet to reach the final of the competition having now lost each of their previous four semi-final appearances (2006, 2012, 2021 and 2022).

What’s next?

Palmeiras will play the winner of Chelsea and Al-Hilal in Saturday's final, while Al Ahly will face the loser of that game in the third-place playoff earlier that same day.

Chelsea playmaker Hakim Ziyech has seemingly called time on his international career, saying he will not play for Morocco again.

Former Ajax star Ziyech has not played for his country since a friendly against Burkina Faso in July due to a reported falling out with head coach Vahid Halilhodzic.

Ziyech was not included in Morocco's squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Without him, Morocco progressed to the quarter-finals, but lost to eventual runners-up Egypt at that stage.

After Morocco's elimination from the tournament, Halilhodzic said that Ziyech would not be welcomed back into the fold "even if his name was Lionel Messi".

Ziyech, speaking to ADSports TV, has now had his say, and believes it is very clear he will not be featuring for Morocco again, at least while Halilhodzic remains in position.

"I understand them, but I will not return to the Moroccan national team and this is my final decision," Ziyech said.

"It's all clear for me how things are going over there and I am focusing on what I am doing and, right now, that is my club.

"At the end of the day, it's a decision he makes and you have to respect it. All the lying that comes with it, it's, for me, clear and I will not return to the national team.

"I understand and feel sorry for [the fans], but that's the situation we're in."

Halilhodzic has previously hit out at Ziyech's behaviour and attitude while on international duty, claims that the 28-year-old has refuted.

Bayern Munich chairman Herbert Hainer has questioned Niklas Sule's decision to leave the club at the end of his contract to join Borussia Dortmund.

Dortmund announced on Monday a pre-agreement is in place with the Germany defender, who will join the club from Bayern at the end of the season.

The 26-year-old has agreed to a four-year deal at Signal Iduna Park, having decided against extending his Bayern contract, which expires at the end of 2021-22.

However, Hainer has questioned Sule's decision to choose Bundesliga rivals rather than potentially more lucrative offers from the Premier League and LaLiga.

"He was already being discussed at Dortmund and there was speculation – in addition to Real Madrid, Manchester City and a few others – but I hadn't thought that it would be his first choice," Hainer told Bild.

"It will be exciting to see him on the other side. But it's not new to us either. We also gave Mats Hummels to Dortmund.

"I don't know what salary Niklas Sule gets at Borussia Dortmund. But I don't think it's a sporting climb.

"Niklas is a very good player who has become a regular in the national team in the last five years. I'm assuming that he'll really give it his all over the next three months so that he can still clinch the titles that we have ahead of us."

Sule joined Bayern from Hoffenheim in 2017 and has made 159 appearances for the club, winning four Bundesliga titles and two DFB-Pokal crowns, as well as the 2019-20 Champions League.

However, when it emerged he would not be signing a new contract, former Bayern star and chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge claimed the centre-back "never really asserted himself in his position" while at the club.

Sule's agent, Volker Struth, recently said his client "didn’t feel fully valued" by the German champions.

"I can only speak of myself and the people I am with every day," Hainer said in response to those comments.

"We all appreciated him and know what we had and still have in him. You have to ask him yourself what exactly he means by that."

Antonio Conte insists he was never worried about Harry Kane's form despite the Tottenham striker enduring something of a slump in the first half of the season.

Kane looked a shadow of his usual self earlier in the campaign, scoring just one Premier League goal under Nuno Espirito Santo.

His performance certainly did not improve dramatically after Conte's arrival, as the England captain's next Premier League goal only arrived on December 19.

But since Christmas, Kane has netted six times in nine games across all competitions, including a brace in Saturday's 3-1 FA Cup defeat of Brighton and Hove Albion.

During Nuno's brief reign, it was felt Spurs were not getting enough out of Kane in any sense – he averaged just 0.24 expected goals (xG) per 90 minutes in the Premier League, his worst record under any Spurs manager in a single season, while his touches of the ball dipped significantly to an average of 38.4 each game.

This showed he was not snuffing out many clear-cut opportunities and his general influence had waned, but under Conte he has seemingly recovered – he averages 0.56 xG each match, a record he has only bettered in 2017-18 (0.65) and 2013-14 (0.89, under Tim Sherwood), while he is touching the ball 46.3 times per game.

While he is still technically under-performing in relation to xG with 0.3 non-penalty goals per 90 minutes, he has improved as a goal threat. Not that Conte had any concerns, though.

"Honestly, I wasn't worried before in the past when he didn't score a lot, because his performance was always very, very high," Conte told reporters. "He played very well in every game for the team, he worked a lot for the team and is a fantastic player for me.

"He's not selfish but now that he's scoring I'm happy for him and the team, because if he scores we have more probability to get three points or go to the next round in a trophy competition.

"As I said to you before, in the past his performances were very, very, very positive for me, despite him not scoring a lot in the past. We're talking about a world-class striker. He's able to score in every game. We've also to try to help him to score."

Kane himself recently commented how he believes he is the fittest he has ever been.

Conte is renowned for being a demanding coach on the training ground, particularly when it comes to the physical aspects.

And it is focusing on this side of things, and building their setup around him, that Conte believes has improved Kane's overall sharpness

"Surely when you have a player like Harry, you have to try to involve him in your tactical idea of football," Conte continued. "He's an important player for us and he has to be a point of reference when we develop our football offensively.

"We're trying to work with him in many aspects. I think that every single player can improve until the end when he decides to stop his career.

"We're talking about a really good person who shows desire every day during training sessions. He's available with his teammates and is always ready to speak about football, to try to improve and also to see new tactical situations.

"I repeat, we're talking about a world-class striker and I'm trying to help him to become also better and better. Me, my staff on the physical aspect we are working – but not only with him, with all the team.

"To reduce our gap [in the Premier League], it's very important to improve every single player in many aspects. If this player is Kane, we're talking about a world-class striker, but it's the same for [Dane] Scarlett. We have to try to improve every single player, and in this way we can improve as a team and be more competitive than before."

Chelsea coach Zsolt Low is confident his side can cope without Thomas Tuchel on the sidelines for Wednesday's Club World Cup semi-final against Al Hilal.

Tuchel missed Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round win against Plymouth Argyle after testing positive for coronavirus and was also unable to fly out to Abu Dhabi.

The German will definitely miss the clash with Asian champions Al Hilal, but he could return for a potential final against either Palmeiras or Al Ahly on Saturday.

Low and Arno Michels will continue to fill in and the former insists Chelsea's preparations have not been hampered too much as Tuchel is providing regular input from London.

"We are constantly in contact with Thomas. We're using video calling all the time," Low said at a pre-match news conference on Tuesday.

"We change our ideas a lot of times in the day. We have good conversation to make it like he is here with us together.

"Petr Cech supports us well when Thomas is not here. We have a good medical staff, team management. We have a lot of support. And a lot of video calls with Thomas. 

"He'll support us as best he can and give us every day preparation in meetings. In the next days there's the possibility to talk to the team."

Despite the four-hour time difference between London and the United Arab Emirates, Low says Tuchel is available at any time of the day.

"It's not necessary for him to change time zone. We have meetings with an alarm call," he said. "If we need him at 6am, we need him at 6am. 

"We are training in the afternoon so Thomas is already awake then anyway. In the hotel it's a bit easier for him to chat to the team because of the connection. 

"Maybe here in the dressing room can be more difficult. We all the time have phone contact also during the game so he can analyse and try to translate to the team.

"Phone calls and messages aren't Thomas' strongest part but he needs to be prepared and ready and be with us on the phone. He's been absolutely perfect in the last few days."

Tuchel is continuing to isolate, but if he returns a negative test by Thursday he will be in place for this weekend's final – assuming Chelsea first overcome Al Hilal.

"He'll follow the government rules, get tested every day and we hope the next will be negative so he can travel as fast as possible and enjoy the group and the team," Low said. 

"We hope but we have texts, phone calls, video calls and give him the feeling he's with us. We need his absolute support. In 24 hours he could be here."

Al Hilal beat Al Jazira 6-1 to set up a showdown with Chelsea, who are looking to add the Club World Cup to their collection following last year's Champions League triumph.

The Blues were beaten 1-0 by Corinthians in the final in their only participation in the tournament a decade ago, but they are favourites to go all the win this time around.

"We have to take that role after winning the Champions League," Low said. "We know we're a good team and play a good game but Al Hilal are very good.

"Leonardo Jardim is a very good coach and they have a very good team. We take the role as favourites but for sure it will be a difficult game tomorrow."

The Champions League winners have made the final of the Club World Cup at 16 of the previous 17 editions, with Manchester United in 2000 the only exception.

Chelsea have lost just one of their past 15 games in all competitions, meanwhile, with their only loss in that period coming against Premier League champions Manchester City.

The English heavyweights will be without Reece James against Al Hilal, despite the defender being included in their squad, while Mason Mount will undergo a late fitness test.

Edouard Mendy is also set to link up with the squad ahead of the match, despite featuring for Senegal in Sunday's Africa Cup of Nations final win against Egypt.

Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Javier Berasaluce has died at the age of 91, the Spanish club have announced.

Berasaluce spent five years at Madrid between 1955 and 1960, during which time he won five European Cups and two LaLiga titles, albeit while playing understudy to Juan Alonso.

The Spaniard, who was never capped by his country, also represented Deportivo Alaves and Racing Santander in the Spanish top flight.

Los Blancos confirmed Berasaluce's passing on their official website on Tuesday.

Alaves also sent their condolences to the family of Berasaluce, who along with his granddaughter took the honorary kick-off against Madrid last January to mark the club's centenary.

Barcelona have announced chief executive officer Ferran Reverter is to step down from his position for personal and family reasons.

Reverter only took up the job last July and was tasked with reducing the club's mounting debt and organising the Camp Nou regeneration project.

But the 49-year-old, who succeeded Oscar Grau three months after Joan Laporta took over as club president, is to make way for a new CEO.

Barca announced the news on their official website on Tuesday, while confirming Reverter will remain in the position until a replacement is found.

Reverter said in a statement: "It is now almost a year since I left Germany to return to Barcelona for family reasons and shortly after I accepted the offer that I received from president Joan Laporta to become CEO of the club. 

"These have been passionate months and I thank the president for his trust and, above all, his enthusiasm and capacity for leadership that mean FC Barcelona how has a first-class executive team that is able to reposition Barca as a world leader. 

"Personally I have put in much effort and dedication during these months, but I now wish to focus on the reason why I returned to Barcelona, which is to spend more time on personal and family projects."

According to reports from Spain, Reverter's decision to walk away is linked to the Catalan club reaching an agreement with Spotify over naming rights for Camp Nou.

The deal is said to be worth €280million, spanning across three years, and will also see the streaming giants replace Rakuten as the club's kit sponsor.

Barca climbed into the top four of LaLiga with a 4-2 win over Atletico Madrid at the weekend and return to action with a trip to city rivals Espanyol on Sunday.

Barcelona have secured purchase options on highly rated Brazilian teenagers Kaiky and Angelo Gabriel, according to Santos president Andres Rueda.

The Blaugrana have become mired in financial issues in recent years, with their debts topping €1.4billion in 2021, meaning much of their focus in the transfer market has been on free signings and young players.

While a hefty bank loan last year ensured they could flex some financial muscle in the January transfer window, bringing in Ferran Torres from Manchester City in a deal potentially worth €65million, they still had to rely on free transfers for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Dani Alves, while Adama Traore joined on loan – albeit with a €34.4m purchase option.

Despite their problems, it would seem Barca remain eager to not miss out on potential superstars again – they were apparently pipped by Real Madrid to the signings of Vinicius Junior, Reinier and Rodrygo.

As such, they have – according to Santos – secured first refusal over two of Brazil's most-promising teenagers, Kaiky and Angelo, both of whom are already regulars at senior level.

The deal, Rueda claims, is a direct consequence of Santos reneging on a similar arrangement over Gabriel Barbosa in 2016, which cost the Brazilian club €2.9m.

Rueda told Sport: "At Santos we had 10 priority situations to resolve that could lead to a transfer ban or a court order to block accounts. One was with Barcelona, ​​who had an option to buy Gabigol, which, unfortunately, [Santos] did not respect in 2016. The case was before FIFA and we began to negotiate.

"It was a very tough negotiation. Quite rightly, Barcelona looked at us with a certain mistrust. We showed them that we are doing things very seriously. We transmit credibility. We negotiated for almost a year until we reached a feasible agreement for both parties... a good agreement for Barca and a regular agreement for Santos.

"Before, Barcelona had an option for Gabigol, and now they have it for two players: Angelo and Kaiky, who are two jewels that arouse great attraction throughout the market.

"In sporting terms, it is great news for Barcelona. And, for Santos, it is an agreement that freed us from a Court of Arbitration for Sport sanction. It allows us to fulfil this commitment and move on with life.

"Calmly we found another solution, and here [Barca president, Joan] Laporta was fundamental. The negotiation ended well because the two presidents and the top executives of the clubs unblocked the situation.

"The values ​​are confidential. There is a preference for Barcelona, ​​and a fixed purchase price."

Kaiky, 18, is a centre-back who had been linked with many of the top European clubs over the past year.

He played more minutes in the 2021 Brasileiro (1,334) and the Copa Libertadores (495) than any other under-19 player – in the latter competition last March, Kaiky, aged 17, became the youngest Brazilian to ever score in South America's premier tournament.

That was until Angelo broke his record and became the Libertadores' outright youngest scorer in history the following month at the age of 16 years and 105 days.

A left-footed right-winger, Angelo only turned 17 in December but already has 55 first-team appearances to his name and was also the only under-17 player to feature in the 2021 Brasileiro.

Karim Benzema leads the LaLiga scoring charts this term with 17 goals.

But Real Madrid are set to revamp their attacking options if transfer speculation is true.

Benzema turned 34 in December and is contracted until 2023.

TOP STORY – BENZEMA CONCERN ON MADRID FUTURE

Madrid top scorer Benzema has requested a meeting with president Florentino Perez over concerns on his future with Erling Haaland's potential addition, reports Onze.

Los Blancos are set to be bolstered by forwardKylian Mbappe's arrival in the off-season to form an attacking trio alongside Benzema and Vinicius Junior.

But Haaland's potential move from Borussia Dortmund has left Benzema fearing he may lose his spot.

ROUND-UP 

- Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger is being lined up by Bayern Munich as their ideal replacement for Niklas Sule, claims Fichajes. Sule has confirmed his exit to Borussia Dortmund for next season.

- Juventus have a new plan ahead of fresh contract talks with Paulo Dybala, according to Calciomercato. Dybala is unsigned beyond this season.

- Manchester United and Brazilian giants Flamengo have agreed to a £12m fee for the permanent sale of Andreas Pereira, reports Universo.

- Atletico Madrid, who are looking to replace the departed Kieran Trippier, are set to make a €30m offer for Aston Villa full-back Matty Cash, claims Mundo Deportivo.

- Calciomercato reports that Milan still have an eye on Club Brugge's Dutch talent Noa Lang.

Declan Rice is worth over £100million to West Ham, according to David Moyes.

Rice has enjoyed another standout season in the heart of West Ham’s midfield, on the back of an impressive Euro 2020 campaign with England.

The 23-year-old netted a last-gasp equaliser to force extra-time in West Ham’s FA Cup tie with Kidderminster Harriers, with Jarrod Bowen then sending Moyes' team through.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City are among the Premier League sides credited with an interest in Rice.

"Yeah," Moyes told a news conference on Monday when asked if Rice was worth over £100m, which is the record transfer fee paid for a British player after Jack Grealish's move from Aston Villa to Man City.

"I think I've said everything there is to say about Declan. He's a really important player for West Ham, he's someone who we value greatly and you can see what he means to the team.

"He's a really good individual and we're enjoying having him."

This season, Rice has added extra attacking threat to his game, scoring four goals - all from open play - and providing as many assists in all competitions. In West Ham's squad, only Bowen (56) has completed more dribbles than Rice (53), who has also won 160 duels, which ranks third for the Hammers.

Rice captains West Ham, with club skipper Mark Noble now on the fringes of the first team, and Moyes believes the England armband could one day be his, too.

"He learns an awful lot from Mark Noble," Moyes continued. "He should look at Harry Kane and Harry Maguire and all the senior players he's involved with with England and take as much from them as he can, because he's got a great chance of going on to become a future England captain. He should look at them.

"We're really pleased to have him, and he’s a really impressive young man."

West Ham and Rice face struggling Watford at home on Tuesday in the Premier League.