Arsenal have signed West Ham United star Declan Rice. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
According to Daily Express, West Ham star Declan Rice could be handed his dream shirt number if he signs a deal with Chelsea in the following summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old had another strong season with the Hammers, assisting them on their journey to the Europa League semi-finals. He was impressive in England’s run to the UEFA Euros final last summer and carried that form at club level.
Chelsea have been interested in a reunion with Rice and it seems the Blues would have a lucrative deal for the young midfielder.
It is believed that Rice could be given his ‘dream shirt’ with the 41 number if he decides to join the Blues in the summer transfer window. The Englishman has great affection for that number and might be enticed to get that at Chelsea.
Rice’s contract at the London Stadium is set to expire in the summer of 2024, but the east Londoners have the option to extend it for another year. Due to his outstanding performances over the previous two seasons, the club has set a £150million price tag on the England international.
It’s unclear whether the Hammers will keep holding firm on this valuation in the near future, or whether the Blues would be willing to pay such a sum under Todd Boehly’s ownership.
That price tag should deter the West London club from pursuing him. It is truly a massive figure and way more than Chelsea’s current record signing, which stands at £97.5million which they paid for Romelu Lukaku to Inter Milan last summer.
Given the fact that Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are poised to leave for free this summer, defence should be given priority. Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso, who have been linked with a transfer to Barcelona, could follow Christensen’s lead.
As a result, our attention towards the end of the season should be on the centre-back and wing-back positions. And hence, spending such a large price on Rice would be foolish, even if we could use a man of his calibre in our ranks.
After all, we’ll have to replace players like Jorginho and N’Golo Kante in the future, which will be a challenging assignment. To compensate for their inevitable exits when their playing careers come to an end, we’d need world-class players. Rice would have been a good fit in this situation, but for the time being, we need to focus elsewhere.
Perhaps the club can re-enter the race when the price is right for Rice but it is clear that his current valuation just seems outright bloated.
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