According to Mirror, Chelsea have prepared an offer for West Ham vice-captain Declan Rice. The England international is on the tabs of many big clubs since the summer of last season. The Euro 2020 is where he rose to the occasion for England and cemented his place in the lineup for England. Other big clubs like Manchester City and Manchester United remain interested in signing Rice.
Chelsea released Declan Rice from their Youth system who was playing alongside Mason Mount. They now look forward to bringing the 23-year-old back to Stamford Bridge. However, that might cost a fortune to the Blues but it is manageable for Chelsea as they did not spend in the January transfer window.
Manchester United needs that defensive midfielder in order to strengthen both their attack and defense. Manchester City profited from the sale of Ferran Torres to Barcelona. Therefore, they do have some funds that can help them in signing Declan Rice. However, he may not be as important a player at City as he will be at Chelsea or Manchester United.
David Moyes has already said that West Ham plans to keep Rice for as long as they can. West Ham are competing for a place in the Champions League. However, if they fail to do so then it will be tough for them to keep Declan Rice at the club. Moyes has already highlighted that “it would be shoot to the moon” for other clubs who are trying to sign him.
Why Chelsea are quick to make a move for Declan Rice?
Declan Rice has already made 200 appearances for the club at the age of 23 since making a debut in 2016. Although he has doubts over his future with the Hammers, he has still shown exceptional leadership qualities and maturity in his game. These qualities can help the Chelsea squad to learn some discipline and commitment towards the game.
Rice has completed 2.3 tackles, 1.7 interceptions while also clearing the ball 1.1 times per game. He attempts 2.5 long balls per game and has a passing success percentage of 90.9%. He has also scored 3 goals this season while assisting 4 and also completes 1.5 dribbles per game (stats via whoscored).
Chelsea are facing a few issues finding a good pair alongside Jorginho as he has struggled to keep up his form of Euro 2020. He has made some silly mistakes at the back for which Chelsea have paid the price. Moreover, they need a player who can provide energy and can also control the tempo of the game. Kante and Jorginho have entered their 30s and may not contribute their best as they used to a few seasons ago.
Declan Rice has turned down two contract offers from West Ham which suggests his willingness to move to a big club. West Ham must finish in the top four to have something in their case to convince Rice for staying. There is a feeling among the West Ham fans and club that he might request a move to a bigger club in the summer. If that is the case then West Ham should get good returns for the England international.
Follow us on Twitter for regular football updates.
