West Ham United "know" that they will be forced to sell Declan Rice in the near future, according to former Manchester United captain Patrice Evra.
Rice has been in excellent form for the Hammers during the 2020-21 campaign and is expected to be a key player for England at next summer's European Championships.
Chelsea were strongly linked with their former youngster over the summer, and it is thought that the Blues will again attempt to sign him in either January or at the end of the 2020-21 campaign.
Evra has said that David Moyes's side will already be aware that keeping the 21-year-old is an impossible task due to the interest in his services.
"Moyes has given him the captaincy, so for me, it symbols the future of West Ham. It's not easy to put Mark Noble on the bench," Evra told Sky Sports News.
"They know they are going to lose him, because many big clubs are interested in Declan, but right now, he's the man of West Ham. I'm not surprised.
"I knew this player would never allow his head to get bigger because he's so focused and so humble, and you can see him smiling - he's happy, what a joy. I'm very pleased for him."
Rice has a contract at the London Stadium until the summer of 2024.
