Chelsea have been named favourites to sign West Ham’s prized possession Declan Rice this summer.
The Mirror has reported that one bookmaker has placed odds of 4/6 on the England international to sign for the Blues this transfer window. This makes Rice more likely to join the rival London side than stay with the Irons, which hots up the situation.
Would you like to see Chelsea sign Declan Rice?
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Frank Lampard is in the market for better defensive options after being disappointed with Kepa Arrizabalaga and others this season. Chelsea leaked an alarming 54 goals this term, the most out of any other side to finish inside the top ten.
The Blues must strengthen their back-line if they want to match strong attacking recruits Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner.
Chelsea recently approached West Ham with a list of players available for a swap deal in hopes of a player-plus-cash transfer for Rice. However, the Hammers have made it clear that they only want cash if they are going to sell up and have turned down the offer of Michy Batshuayi and Ross Barkley (via The Guardian).
This leaves the Blues looking at at least a £65 million price tag which will take their total spending this summer up to more than £145m. But with Roman Abramovich reportedly providing an extra £120m budget for Lampard to splash, meeting Rice’s hefty asking price shouldn’t be a problem.
Do you think Chelsea will be able to get the Declan Rice deal over the line? Join the discussion in the comments below…
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