West Ham boss David Moyes admits he's unsure if they can keep Jesse Lingard.
Lingard's loan from Manchester United will be completed at the end of the season.
"I'm not sure how realistic it is, Jesse has enjoyed himself I hope," said Moyes.
"He's Manchester United's player so they can decide what to do with him. If they let him go then I'd hope he'd consider us."
On Saturday's opponents Brighton, he continued: "I've always found the games against Brighton to be tough. They've done a great job there, their recruitment has been good and they'll cause us problems, as all teams do.
"They're a good side to watch too and we'll be asked a lot of questions."
He added: "I'd rate Declan Rice's chances the same as Aaron Cresswell's, Angelo Ogbonna and the rest of them. I wouldn't want to give anything away."
