Chelsea's owners 'did all they could' to sign West Ham United star Declan Rice over the summer transfer window, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

The Lowdown: West Ham overhaul...

It was quite a busy summer for David Moyes and the east London club as they welcomed a plethora of major signings through the door at Rush Green, including Brazil international Lucas Paqueta in a club-record deal from Lyon.

Along with the South American, Alphonse Areola, Nayef Aguerd, Flynn Downes, Gianluca Scamacca, Maxwel Cornet, Thilo Kehrer, Emerson put pen to paper on permanent moves to the Premier League club.

However, incomings weren't the only interesting aspect of West Ham's transfer business, with links surrounding the future of Rice amid Chelsea's long-standing interest.

The Latest: Chelsea 'did all they could' to sign Rice...

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Phillips has now made an interesting claim on the saga.

He explains that Chelsea's owners personally travelled to the London Stadium in their bid to negotiate a deal for Rice, but it didn't come to fruition.

Phillips stated of the 23-year-old: “The owners did all they could to try and get him. They went to West Ham, they had conversations about him and I was told that it even went as far as structuring the payments of the deal.”

The Verdict: Warning?

This development perhaps comes as a slight warning for Moyes and West Ham.

Rice's current contract expires in 2024, and while they have the option to extend it by a further year, the Hammers will need to start becoming competitive in showing to the England star that they can challenge for silverware and Champions League football.

Hailed as 'sensational' by members of the media, the Irons will want to do all they can to keep hold of their club captain, who has been their second-highest rated player of a difficult season so far (as per WhoScored).