Manuel PelIegrini offered no assurances that West Ham will be able to hang on to rising England star Declan Rice this summer.
The Hammers signed off with a third consecutive win and a top 10 finish on the final day of the season after beating Watford 4-1 at Vicarage Road, but Rice – who signed a five-year contract earlier this year – will be a target for Europe's richest vultures.
He has been linked with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea recently, and his manager Pellegrini refused to ease Hammers fans' worries about losing their young talent.
Pellegrini admitted: “It's impossible, I cannot know the future. He is, of course, a player who has had a brilliant season, who is 20 years old and an English player who has a lot of qualities.
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“Maybe some of the big teams, or all of them, will want him. But that is one thing – the other is whether he will stay here or he goes, and I cannot say at this moment.”
The Irons leapfrogged Watford in the table, and although Pellegrini lost his record of qualifying for Europe in every full season he has managed on the continent, he said: “It's not a bad position to finish.”
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Rice made a total of 34 appearances this season, scoring twice in the process, and won both the Players' Player of the Year and Young Hammer of the Year award at his club.
He also made his first senior appearance for England having chosen the Three Lions over Republic of Ireland. He made his debut as a substitute, coming off the bench in England's Euro 2020 qualifier against the Czech Republic, and was in the starting line-up for the 5-1 win against Montenegro.
He is known to hold West Ham close to his heart having come through their academy, but Rice may find his head turned by the appeal of playing in European competition, something not currently looking likely at West Ham.
