Chelsea target, Declan Rice, in action for West Ham United. (GETTY Images)
According to The Athletic (Subscription Required), the uncertainty surrounding the future of Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is impacting the club’s pursuit of Declan Rice.
The West Ham United star has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. While we failed to land him in the summer, rumours regarding a renewed interest continue to run strong.
The player for his part is also keen to return to Chelsea. Rice was initially on Chelsea’s books before being released by the club at the age of 14.
The Blues are coming off the back of a poor December that saw them fall away in the title race. A run of one win in six games has seen the Blues fall to 10th place in the Premier League.
This has called into question Lampard’s position as the manager. While he is set to be given time to set things right, Roman Abramovich is ensuring the club is ready if a change needs to be made.
The Russian oligarch has already created a five-man shortlist of candidates to replace Lampard if results don’t pick up. (h/t The Daily Mail)
A move for Rice was already difficult given West Ham’s massive £80million asking price. There is also no common stand at the club regarding a move for the midfielder.
Lampard for his part is a huge fan of the 21-year-old English international. The same cannot be said of the board, who have reservations. (h/t The Express)
They remain unconvinced if the youngster has the required quality and has the ability to step up to a Champions League level side. It would appear that at this point in time, any chance of us bringing in Rice rests on Lampard keeping his job.
Chelsea take on Fulham next in the Premier League. A win should give Lampard some breathing space and the foundation to put together a run of good results.
It promises to be an interesting second half of the season.
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