Chelsea have made West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice their key priority, and are confident of signing him, according to journalist Ben Jacobs.
The 23-year-old is a long-term target for the club, who see him as the future of their midfield as the N’Golo Kante era comes to an end.
Whilst a deal looks impossible in January, they could land the midfielder in the summer as his contract runs out in 2024, and could even secure him at a lower price than expected.
The England international has made 215 appearances for West Ham, and has established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the league, ranking in the top 10% of European midfielders for pass completion and interceptions as per FBref.
Speaking on the CFC365 Podcast (10.10), Jacobs claimed that Chelsea could even secure a deal for a fee between £70m and £85m at the end of the season.
“They are waiting on Declan Rice as a key, key priority, and they believe that’s possible,” he stated.
“There are other clubs pushing hard as well but they certainly think that West Ham will soften on price and are resigned to losing Declan Rice in the summer of 2023.
“Instead of it being £100m plus, it could be anything between 70 and 85 million, which certainly from Chelsea’s point of view, speaking to sources, they believe is far closer to market value.”
TIF thoughts on Rice and Chelsea…
Rice leaving West Ham feels inevitable, particularly given his comments during the World Cup that he wants to play in the Champions League.
Given the high interest in the 23-year-old, Chelsea will likely need to secure Champions League football next season to land Rice, and as they currently sit in eighth place, this may be a tall order for Graham Potter.
Rice came through the Chelsea academy as a child, and if they can offer him Champions League football, they would surely be the favourites for his signature.