Declan Rice sets his sights on Arsenal transfer forcing Chelsea to look to Nunes

Jacque Talbot

• Updated: 26 Jan 2023 10:32 GMT
• 3 min read

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West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has set his sights firmly on a transfer to Arsenal in the summer, forcing Chelsea to reassess their options, FootballTransfers can reveal.

The Blues have turned their attention to Matheus Nunes as an alternative option, having been knocked back in their quest to sign Rice.

The London side have registered an interest in the Wolves midfielder after they were informed that the West Ham captain wants to move to their rivals.

READ MORE: REVEALED: Will Chelsea sign Enzo Fernandez or Caicedo or both?

The Gunners see Rice as their main transfer target for the summer and the England international is open to a move.

Consequently, Chelsea have sounded out an approach for Nunes, who only signed for struggling Wolves last summer from Sporting Lisbon.

Liverpool also want the Portuguese player and have the ambition to bring him in alongside Jude Bellingham in the upcoming summer transfer window.

MORE: Bellingham drops major transfer preference hint

Nunes is on the books at Jorge Mendes’ Gestifute, who have strong ties to both the Reds and the London side.

The 24-year-old has admirers at Stamford Bridge, despite being a relatively recent arrival at Molineux.

The Blues also have Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Everton’s Amadou Onana on their list of targets.

Graham Potter’s side also looked at Benfica’s Enzo Fernandez earlier in the window but were unable to seal the move.

Chelsea have been without N’Golo Kante for most of the season through injury, and in the longer term, Jorginho is expected to leave the club when his contract expires in the summer. The Frenchman might also follow.

Chelsea and Liverpool to fight for Matheus Nunes

Liverpool were close to signing Nunes in the last window but the move did not go through and he made the move to Wolves for €49 million.

As we revealed at the time, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain were keen on the Portugal international too.

Jurgen Klopp’s No.1 target is Bellingham, with Nunes also high up his shortlist. Rice is on there, too, but he is not considered a big priority.

Nunes, who made two appearances for Portugal in the World Cup, is admired for his midfield versatility. He was considered the Primeira Liga’s best player last season with Sporting.