Chelsea target, Declan Rice, in action for West Ham United. (GETTY Images)
According to a report by Spanish outlet TodoFichajes (h/t Mirror), Manchester United, Manchester City, and Liverpool have joined Chelsea in the race to sign Declan Rice.
The 21-year-old midfielder was pursued by Chelsea last summer but the deal could not be materialized. Chelsea could not offload Antonio Rudiger, Marcos Alonso, and Jorginho to gather the funds for a transfer.
Moreover, West Ham United told Chelsea that Rice is not for sale. However, the English international remains at the top of Frank Lampard’s wishlist. (h/t Mirror)
Chelsea are now joined by three other clubs in the pursuit of his signature. Manchester City want Rice to prevent their team from being overrun on the counter, while Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a fan of the Englishman.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are in an injury crisis at the back, which can be aided by Rice’s versatility. Nevertheless, Chelsea are still favourites to sign the midfielder they released from their academy at the age of 14.
Rice is undoubtedly one of the biggest prospects in England at the moment. The 21-year-old has already captained West Ham and has not missed a single minute in the Premier League this season.
He can play in defensive midfield as well as in defence and such versatility can only drive up his value. Rice could be a great long-term signing.
Thiago Silva has been impressive this season. But, the Brazilian is 36 and is in the final few months of his one-year contract.
In such a situation, Rice can be a very able replacement for the veteran defender. Not to mention, he is just 21 years old and could get even better in the coming years. With added competition, Chelsea will need to act swiftly to secure his signing.
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