Chelsea target, Declan Rice, in action for West Ham United. (GETTY Images)
According to the Mirror, West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has told his friends that he has no intention of joining Manchester United and would prefer to stay in London, amid serious interest from Chelsea.
Rice started his footballing education at the Chelsea academy but was released as a 14-year-old, post which he switched to the West Ham youth setup.
Having come through the ranks, Rice broke into the first-team setup in 2017. Since then, he has grown into one of the most accomplished defensive midfielders in the Premier League.
An ever-present for club and country, Rice has been on the radars of Chelsea for quite some time now. Apart from the Blues, our arch-rivals Manchester United are also keen on the West Ham United ace.
The Hammers value the Englishman at a whopping £80m, which scuppered our chances of signing him last summer. But, it is claimed that Rice wishes to play Champions League football and challenge for trophies, which could see him leave at the end of the season.
The England international, though, has informed friends that he wishes to stay put in London and is not interested in securing a transfer to Manchester United. Instead, he would favour a transfer to Chelsea, as revealed by a source close to the midfielder. (h/t Mirror)
“Dec has been flattered by interest in him but he doesn’t see himself moving to Manchester. It’s obvious where he’d like his next move to be.”
Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is a huge admirer of Rice, who can play in midfield as well as in defence. With Rice, too, seemingly interested in securing a return to Chelsea, it only seems a matter of time before the deal goes through.
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