Transfer News: Chelsea hesitant to sign Declan Rice amidst Manchester United interest
According to the newsletter written by Miguel Delaney of The Independent (h/t The Express), Chelsea are hesitant to secure the signature of Declan Rice amidst interest from Manchester United for a future transfer. He has been the backbone of West Ham United in their pursuit to qualify for the Champions League next term.
The Blues are battling it out with Man United to get their hands on Rice ahead of the summer transfer window. He is the priority target for the Manchester club to solidify their midfield. That being said, the holding midfielder has his eyes set on returning to Stamford Bridge after leaving them back in 2014.
Thomas Tuchel’s side is leading the race as a result, with the Red Devils closely following them in second place. However, the West London side has doubts about the 23-year-old’s ball progression and £100million valuation set by the Hammers for his services.
Puzzling from Chelsea
It would be crazy on our part not to pursue the Englishman due to this particular reason- if it turns out to be true in the first place. After all, this viewpoint effectively ignores the possibility of future improvement, just like he has shown in the past two years.
Players add new dimensions to their game as they age and it would not be wise to bet against the West Ham star to improve even further moving forward. That being said, such concerns seem valid to an extent given the quoted price as for that price, a team would want a player that ticks all the boxes they want him to be ticking.
Moreover, we could have the opportunity to sign the England international on a lower fee than the mentioned valuation. Since he has not entertained any offers from Moyes’ side for an extension, a cheaper transfer could be on the cards this summer or at the end of next season. Whether that will happen or not remains to be seen in the future.
Rice is young right now and has shown time and again that he can be a world-class player under the right guidance and at the right club. Being the anchor in Gareth Southgate’s midfield at the 2020 UEFA Euros isn’t a light feat.
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With Kante and Jorginho being in the twilight of their playing careers, we need someone who possesses a similar quality to safeguard our long-term interests. Rice can be that man, but it is up to us to push for a move moving forward.