Chelsea would be Declan Rice‘s first choice if he decides to leave West Ham this summer, says transfer insider Dean Jones.
The 23-year-old is attracting interest from some of English football’s biggest clubs, including West Ham’s London rivals Chelsea.
What is the latest news involving Rice?
The Telegraph recently reported that Rice is a target for Chelsea, who could launch a bid to sign him in the next transfer window.
According to the same outlet, Manchester United and Manchester City are also interested in the English midfielder, so there could be a real battle for his signature in the summer.
He is having another solid season in the Premier League, recording a rating of 7.21 on WhoScored. In total, he has played 23 games and has come up with five goal contributions in the process.
All things considered, Rice is not a player West Ham will want to lose, but Chelsea’s interest does not look like it is going away anytime soon despite the Irons’ £100m valuation.
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What has Jones said about Rice to Chelsea?
If Rice does decide it is time for a new challenge, Jones has told GIVEMESPORT that the former Chelsea academy player would make a return to west London his preference.
Speaking to GMS, Jones said: “The Chelsea offer, if it comes, will be highly tempting. I think it would be his first choice from what I understand.”
Should Chelsea go all out for Rice?
Yes. A midfielder like Rice is a must for Thomas Tuchel, who will surely be worried about the fitness of N’Golo Kante.
Since the start of the 2019/20 season, the Frenchman has missed a lot of games for the European champions due to injury, including five this term because of a knee problem.
As well as Kante’s injury problems, Chelsea will also have to consider Jorginho’s contract situation this summer. The Euro 2020 winner will be a free agent in 2023, giving the Blues a decision to make going into next season.
They currently risk losing Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta for nothing at the end of the campaign, with the trio almost out of contract. Given that, you would assume Chelsea will want to avoid a similar situation with Jorginho, so it would not be a shock if they decided to cash in on the 30-year-old in the summer.
Taking all of the above into account, the Blues should be prepared to at least make a move to bring Rice back to west London.
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