Chelsea face Man City threat in pursuit of rising young English midfield star

Transfer News: Manchester City enter the race for Chelsea target Declan Rice

According to transfer news from Metro, Manchester City have entered the race for Chelsea target Declan Rice. City view him as the successor to Fernandinho in case the Brazilian decides to leave the club this summer.

Rice spent time at Chelsea’s academy before making the switch to West Ham and has made huge strides at the East London outfit. A regular for club and country now, the Englishman is one of the best defensive midfielders on display in the Premier League.

Rice has been a target for the Blues since the start of this season and it was said that Frank Lampard was especially keen on bringing Rice back to Chelsea. While there was little chatter on Rice after Lampard’s departure, Chelsea haven’t entirely lost interest in the promising midfielder. It has been said that Manchester City are rethinking their stance on Fernandinho’s future.

He may be 36 already but over the last few outings, he has shown that he can still cut it at the top for another season. His performance against PSG was an unreal one and City are contemplating on giving him a new deal. In the event that Fernandinho leaves the club, City are sure to go after Rice. The West Ham midfielder has come a long way in his career and with each passing game, he looks better.

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This does come as a huge setback for Chelsea, who have been after the player for a while now. It remains to be seen what the Blues do after this.