Chelsea keen on signing West Ham United star Declan Rice

According to the Guardian, West Ham United are keen to hold on to their prized jewel Declan Rice in the face of growing interest from Chelsea.

The 21-year-old started his career at Chelsea before making the move to the Hammers. He is close to Blues starlet Mason Mount and is keen to reunite with his best friend at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea are well stocked in the youngster’s position. Both N’Golo Kante and Jorginho are seasoned professionals with oodles of experience. However, while the former has enjoyed an injury ridden season, the latter continues to be linked to Juventus.

Rice’s contract at the London Stadium runs till 2024, with the Hammers having an option to extend it further by a season. This gives them enough leeway to have a strong hand in negotiations.

The Hammers made a pre-tax loss of £28.2million in their most recent finances. Their situation could get worse if the season does not resume. It would force them to sell a number of their stars to balance the books. Unfortunately for us, Declan Rice will only be sold as a last resort.

He will also not come cheap, with the Hammers holding out for £70million. The figure could prove to be a deterrence for Chelsea, who are not immune to the current financial crisis.

Rice had received considerable attention from Manchester United but the player does not appear keen on returning it. It’s a different matter altogether regarding Chelsea, considering Mount’s affiliation with us.

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A move for Rice has a certain romanticism about a player returning to his roots. As one of the country’s finest young players, Chelsea will be getting a bonafide star with more than a decade at the top level left in his kitty.