David Moyes denies Chelsea have made contact with West ham for Declan Rice

According to the Metro, West Ham United manager David Moyes has revealed that Chelsea has not made any contract regarding star midfielder Declan Rice.

He also went on to admit that the Hammers will rebuff any interest from elsewhere for the 22-year-old.

“They’re not true, we’ve had no contact from either of those clubs regarding Declan and we wouldn’t want any anyway.”

Rice was released from the Chelsea academy at the age of 14. He moved to West Ham and has since then emerged into one of the country’s best upcoming midfielders.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is a fan of the player and is keen on bringing him back to the Bridge. Rice too, for his part, is open to a return. He is, however, unwilling to force through a move due to his respect for the Hammers.

The Blues will also have to contend with competition from Moyes’ former side Manchester United. The Red Devils view the midfielder as a long-term replacement for the aging Nemanja Matic.

Rice will however not come cheap. Chelsea will need to fork out at least £70m to secure the midfielder’s services.

While Lampard is keen on Rice, the Chelsea hierarchy does not appear to be entirely convinced. (h/t Express)

They remain doubtful if the youngster has the required quality and has the ability to step up to a top-level side. Given how Kepa Arriizabalaga and Kai Havertz have performed so far, the scepticism is understandable.

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Rice has proven himself to be an excellent player for West Ham. There is certainly enough to suggest he could go on to become a leading midfielder in the future.

Whether that will be at Chelsea or not remains to be seen.

RB Leipzig enter the race to sign Chelsea target Mohamed Simakan in the summer

According to reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, RB Leipzig are working on a deal to sign Chelsea target Mohamed Simakan in the summer.

The 20-year-old has been an ever-present for Ligue 1 side Strasbourg this season. The Blues have been keeping an eye on his development with interest. (h/t Chelsea FC)

Simakan was offered to Chelsea last summer. However, he stayed put in France. The youngster’s situation has also drawn attention from Italian giants AC Milan. (h/t Football.london)

The Rossoneri have since decided to sign Fikayo Tomori on loan. The 23-year-old was their backup plan should a move for Simakan not come to fruition in Germany.

This could open the way for it to become a two horse race for the Frenchman.

Leipzig for their part consider Simakan to be a replacement for Dayot Upamecano. The French ace has been linked with a move away this summer with Chelsea among his suitors.

Compared to Simakan, Upamecano is much further along in his development. The 22-year-old is one of the finest young defenders and has the potential to be world-class.

Although Simakan is a comparatively cheaper option, Chelsea will be better off bringing in Leipzig star while parallelly developing Marc Guehi.

Losing Simakan to land Upamecano would not be a bad trade in any way. Chelsea have multiple avenues they could pursue in this particular scenario. What the club prioritizes to do remains to be seen.

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Chelsea are serious about landing Upamecano and have also sounded out their intentions to his representatives. Whether this means that the club has made its choice remains to be seen.

Jamie Redknapp believes Chelsea cannot afford to drop four key players

Speaking to Sky Sports (h/t Metro), Jamie Redknapp has named three defensive stars among four players who Chelsea should consider undroppable.

The former English international believes Mason Mount, Ben Chilwell, Edouard Mendy, and Thiago Silva are all indispensable to Frank Lampard’s side.

Mount was the goalscorer on the night as the Blues got back to winning ways in the Premier League against Fulham. The 22-year-old’s performances also saw him draw praise from Gary Lineker.

Fulham gave Lampard’s side a real run for their money in the first half. Things improved in the second half after Scott Parker’s side were reduced to 10-men.

Despite the man advantage, it took the Blues until the 78th minute to break the deadlock. It was the second time in two games where Mount scored for Chelsea.

Redknapp believes the midfielder is one of the few players Lampard can rely on.

“Frank’s got a few players in that team right now that he will be picking every single week; he [Mount] is one, Mendy, Thiago Silva’s incredible, Chilwell.”

Redknapp was particularly effusive in his praise of Mount. He praised the player for setting the pace fo the game for Chelsea.

“What Mason Mount did today is he set the tempo all game.”

He believes the midfielder must, however, continue to add goals to his name. Lampard made the same demand of Chilwell last week. So far, the 22-year-old has continued to do just that.

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The Blues have a strong squad with plenty of strength in depth on paper. However, certain members are still coming to terms with their roles. Until then it will fall upon a few to carry the weight of expectations.

Chelsea star Thiago Silva faces action after unwittingly breaking Covid-19 regulation

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea star Thiago Silva could face disciplinary action by the Football Association for his post-match antics at Craven Cottage.

The 36-year-old gave his match shirt to a construction worker involved in the reconstruction of Fulham’s Riverside Stand. This is in direct violations of coronavirus regulations.

The Premier League released strict new protocols this week to prevent the spread of coronavirus among squads. This included a ban on swapping or giving away worn jerseys. 

Silva played the whole 90 minutes as the Blues got back to winning ways in the Premier League.

The country is once again in lockdown as cases continue to rise. Teams such as Fulham and Aston Villa have seen their games postponed as the game is not immune to the ensuing pandemic.

Efforts are being made to ensure that minimal contact occurs between players. They have been instructed to avoid even gestures such as handshakes, high fives, and hugs.

This comes just days after Chelsea boss Frank Lampard put an end to celebrations in training.

The Blues boss had defended the players, going on to cite the difficulties they face in ensuring that the games go ahead despite restrictions. (h/t Sky Sports)

It may not possible to completely eliminate contact in a sport such as football but teams have been doing their best. As role models, players will have to do their part too.

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While Silva may not have meant any harm with his gesture, given the current situation, his actions weren’t the healthiest. It remains to be seen as to what action will now be taken against him.