Why Chelsea could make new move for Declan Rice
FT Desk
- 13 Jul 2022 05:18 CDT
- 3 min read
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has asked the Premier League outfit to revisit their interest in West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice, according to reports.
Formerly an academy player at the club, Rice has grown into one of the Premier League's best midfield operators and has been a long-time target of several top clubs, including Chelsea and Man Utd.
West Ham, though, have consistently knocked back these bids, frustrating some of Europe's leading outfits in the process.
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The Hammers have valued Rice at a whopping £150 million, a figure designed to scare off any potential suitors.
That approach appeared to have bore fruit this summer, as Chelsea's interest cooled and United turned their attentions to Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong.
But now the Blues have turned once more towards the 23-year-old, who enjoyed another impressive season in 2021-22 to take West Ham to the brink of European qualification before falling short in the final stretch.
According to the Guardian, Tuchel is pushing Chelsea to make new overtures towards the east London club in order to force a sale.
Tuchel a big fan of West Ham star
Tuchel has made no secret of his admiration for the young midfield general.
Asked in April how much he rates Rice, the German answered: “Very highly.
"He seems to be a very nice guy from what everybody tells me and is from the Chelsea academy and he proves this [his quality].
"That’s the most important thing. It feels like he plays every single game.
“He is available, is captain, plays with a lot of responsibility, is a physical player, very strategic-minded player, a key player for his team, and is strong at set-pieces. This is not a surprise.
"Everybody sees this. He is a huge part of the success of West Ham and it is impressive.”
Rice is under contract at West Ham until 2024, with the club also holding the option to extend by a further year.
Recent attempts to lock down his future have failed, though, with the player recently turning down a lucrative extension that would have kept him a Hammer until 2030.
