Speaking recently on the Ask Ornstein YouTube show, David Ornstein discussed Chelsea’s interest in West Ham United midfielder, Declan Rice.
Rice, who joined West Ham’s youth setup on a free transfer from Chelsea back in 2013, made his West Ham debut in 2017 as an 18-year-old and has since become a stalwart of the Hammers’ starting XI, making a total of 109 appearances for the club, scoring three goals and providing four assists along the way.
Last season, the 21-year-old played every minute of the club’s Premier League campaign, scoring one goal and providing three assists, averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.01/10 – ranking him as the club’s fourth-best performer.
As a result of these impressive performances, Rice has been linked with a move back to Chelsea, with it being reported that the club had bid £50 million for the England international, however, this story was rubbished by West Ham.
Although, Ornstein did suggest that Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is extremely fond of Rice.
He said: “In central defence, we know that Frank Lampard is very fond of Declan Rice at West Ham and would like to convert him from a midfielder into a top centre-back. I know people in football that think he can become world-class in that position.
“West Ham will demand an incredibly high fee. Sources have suggested in the region of £65-70 million – they don’t need to sell him and they’re in a strong position contractually.
“I don’t think everybody at Chelsea is convinced by Declan Rice, but it’s definitely one that Lampard wants.”
TIF Thoughts…
As such, it would appear that Lampard is indeed interested in the signing of Rice this summer, however, West Ham’s valuation of £65-70 million for the player could make the deal difficult to complete.
Would you be happy for West Ham to sell Rice for £65-70 million this summer?
Yes
No
So, for now, we will have to wait and see whether or not Chelsea come in with a bid that is anywhere near the Hammers’ asking price.