Speaking on a recent episode of the Here We Go podcast, Fabrizio Romano claimed that he is ‘absolutely sure’ that West Ham United defensive midfielder, Declan Rice, is ‘still thinking about’ a move to Chelsea.
Rice came through the youth ranks at West Ham, having joined from Chelsea youth in 2013, and made his debut for the first-team as an 18-year-old back in 2017. The Englishman has gone to become an integral part of the Hammers side, making 115 appearances for the club, chipping in with three goals and providing four assists along the way.
Last season, the £49.5 million-rated 21-year-old started all 38 of the club’s Premier League fixtures, over which he scored one goal and provided three assists, as well as averaging an impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.01 – ranking him as the club’s fourth-best performer in the league.
Seemingly as a result of his fine form for David Moyes’ side, Chelsea were said to be keen on bringing the England international to Stamford Bridge over the summer transfer window, only for West Ham to reject the advances of Frank Lampard’s side.
However, on a recent episode of the Here We Go podcast, Romano claimed that Rice is ‘still thinking’ about a move to Chelsea, as he sees the club as ‘the perfect team for his future’.
He said: “He was the top target for Chelsea, but it didn’t happen because West Ham always [said] they want to keep him. [However,] I can tell you, I don’t know what will happen in January, but I am absolutely sure that Declan Rice is still thinking [about] Chelsea. He [sees] Chelsea as the perfect team for his future. So, let’s see what will happen in January or next summer.
“He’s still thinking [about] Chelsea, he’s still thinking [about] Frank Lampard as [being] the perfect manager for his future. He’s in love with Frank Lampard’s style. So, pay attention always to Declan Rice.”
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TIF Thoughts on Fabrizio Romano’s comments regarding Declan Rice…
From Romano’s comments, it is clear the journalist is of the belief that Rice has his heart set on a move to Chelsea, as the player believes that the club is where he would like to spend his future, as well as holding a desire to play under Lampard.
As such, while Rice remains a West Ham player for now, if Romano is to be believed, unfortunately for fans of the club, this may not be the case for much longer.