Sitting in the top ten and just four points off the top four as it stands, it's fair to say West Ham United look a steady ship under David Moyes. 

While the Scot's return little over a year ago now barely seemed like the most ambitious of appointments, the Hammers have looked solid so far this season.

Still, those pesky transfer rumours just won't go away. 

Speaking on The Transfer Window Podcast yesterday, journalist Ian McGarry reported Chelsea were likely to step up their pursuit of Declan Rice. 

The England international has long been linked with a return to the club who released him as a boy though Moyes himself has claimed it would take 'Bank of England money' to make it happen.

"That chase will be upped in this window upcoming," he said from the 2:12 mark onwards. 

"However, the expectation is at Chelsea that perhaps West Ham will prefer to sell in the summer.

"Chelsea will continue to pursue in both windows."

McGarry goes onto explain that Rice would be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge though he has previously described beating the Blues as 'probably' one of the best days of his life. 

"And, with the player - as they understand it - intimating that he would certainly be very attracted to a move to West London."

GIVEMESPORT's Jonathan Gorrie says... 

Other key players such as Tomáš Souček and Łukasz Fabiański are reportedly happy with the project in place in East London, so Moyes does at least appear to be building something relatively big names can get on board with. 

Still, Chelsea certainly have precedent when it comes to prizing a promising West Ham midfielder away with big money and Frank Lampard's upward career trajectory after moving to Stamford Bridge in 2001 must be an appealing thought for Rice. 

Hugely important to everything the Irons do at the moment, he tops the charts for interceptions and passes per game (via WhoScored) and does have a contract running until 2024, so West Ham do look to be in a strong position were it to come to transfer negotiation.