Why Chelsea need to sign Declan Rice next summer
Cameron Smith
- 2 Nov 2021 13:52 CDT
- 5 min read
Chelsea and Declan Rice - a fairytale transfer rumour that won't go away.
In the Cobham academy before being released aged 14, Rice has been linked with a move back to Stamford Bridge ever since he broke through into the West Ham first-team.
Not only due to his former ties with the club, but his talent, and his relationship with Blues star Mason Mount have led to plenty of rumours concerning Rice and Chelsea.
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They started in earnest when Rice played a couple of games at centre-back for West Ham. It was the position he'd played while at Chelsea before West Ham converted him into a central midfielder.
Injuries, however, forced the Hammers to deploy Rice at centre-half for a few weeks. That brief period led to interest from Chelsea to spike. At the time, both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen were experiencing some poor form under Frank Lampard, and the Blues were in the hunt for replacements.
Leicester's Caglar Soyuncu was one potential name, as was Rice, who Chelsea viewed as a realistic summer target.
West Ham then reverted to playing Rice in the middle of the park, and Chelsea opted to bring in Thiago Silva to fix the issues they had at the back.
Rice was disregarded as a target, but certainly not forgotten about.
This summer, links were reignited, as was interest from Manchester United.
But, why should Chelsea finally bite the bullet and sign Rice next summer?
Rice is an exceptional talent
In short and simple terms - Declan Rice is one of the best options on the market.
When he initially broke through at West Ham, Rice was a fairly average defensive midfielder. However, his development since then has simply been outstanding. He soon became one of the best defensive midfielders in the entire Premier League, and this season he's added variety to his game.
Before 2020/21, Rice was fairly limited; break up play before releasing a simply five-yard pass was effectively his bread and butter, and what he was good at. However, since then, he's added progressive passing and an ability to drive forward with the ball to his repertoire, and West Ham are reaping the rewards.
This season in particular, Rice has added a threat in the final third. He's been given more license to roam forwards at times, and that has seen him score three and assist three in the league and Europa League so far this term.
That adds up to almost a goal contribution every other game, and for a player who still has such high defensive numbers that's mightily impressive.
Perhaps the best indicator of Rice's improvement this season is his progressive passes per 90 tally. In 2019/20 it was at 2.95. In 2020/21 it was at 2.94. This season, it's at 4.20 so far - Rice has added forward impetus to his game, and any belief that he's still a limited player is foolish.
He can still improve, especially with the speed in which he turns on the ball, and how he receives it, but his level right now is simply elite.
He is more active in the defensive phase of play than any of Chelsea's currently options, and Thomas Tuchel would love him.
Ageing midfield
Chelsea's current midfield is actually getting quite old. N'Golo Kante is now 30, and his injury issues are piling up, and Jorginho is 29. Of course, they both have several years left, but in one or two years, their age will begin to start showing.
Rice, at 22, fixes that issue.
It's far from the biggest problem, but advanced planning is key in football, and getting Rice in now would ease the load on Kante and Jorginho, both of whom would benefit from more frequent rest.
Interest from Man Utd
This is a big reason. Man Utd are heavily interested in fixing their own defensive midfield deficiencies by bringing in Rice, and if Chelsea don't act quickly, that could well happen.
The Old Trafford club would be taking one of the best English talents away from Chelsea, and given the financial pull of Man Utd, and their unlikely willingness to sell to a rival, Chelsea would probably miss out on ever signing Rice.
If the Blues don't act next summer, they may have missed their chance forever.
His contract situation
Rice's current deal at West Ham expires in 2024 so next summer is the club's last chance to sell for a hefty fee. Reports suggest he is unlikely to sign a new contract, so he could be available for a cut-price fee in 2023 as the Hammers won't want to lose him for absolutely nothing the year after that.
If Chelsea don't cough up the money for Rice next summer, then the queue of clubs wanting to buy him will extend dramatically in 2023 as his price tag will drop with West Ham wanting to sell before he leaves as a free agent.
So, Chelsea need to strike soon.
One potential problem is Conor Gallagher. To call it a problem is actually fairly inaccurate, but it would cause a problem in Chelsea's hunt for Rice.
Gallagher has simply been incredible at Crystal Palace so far, and a space in Thomas Tuchel's squad next season is most certainly on the cards.
If the Blues sign Rice to go along with Kante, Jorginho, Mateo Kovacic and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who has had a revival this season, then Gallagher likely won't fit in.
However, with Kante simply unreliable on a fitness front, they may look to sell the Frenchman and simply integrate both Rice and Gallagher.
It could work, and would certainly provide Chelsea with more energy in the middle of the park than they currently have.
To conclude, Rice is great, and if Chelsea don't sign him, someone else will; if that happens, then the Blues will come to regret it, there's no doubt about that.
