Chelsea's chances of signing Declan Rice dashed by West Ham's latest post
West Ham United's latest post has cast doubt on Chelsea's chances of signing Declan Rice this summer
West Ham United's talented midfielder Declan Rice has been a name on Chelsea's radar for the past two seasons, with speculation linking him with a move to Stamford Bridge.
The Englishman has become one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League as well as West Ham United's best player, winning the Hammers' Player of the Year award last term.
His outstanding performances in the past two seasons, featuring in 68 of West Ham's 76 league games, have drawn the attention of Manchester United and Chelsea, who are tipped to be the 23-year-old's next destination.
Though these Premier League clubs have shown interest in Declan Rice in the past two transfer windows, West Ham United have always remained adamant on not letting their best player depart.
This summer, the east London club has maintained its decision again with their latest tweet of Declan Rice's picture on vacation, suggesting that the player would be at London Stadium next season.
Declan Rice was spotted with England teammate Jack Grealish on holiday at Las Vegas in the United States
Chelsea are long-term admirers of Declan Rice even before Thomas Tuchel's arrival, with former manager Frank Lampard also understood to have enquired about the possibility of signing the gifted player during his time at Stamford Bridge. The Blues see the youngster as a perfect long-term replacement for French powerhouse N'Golo Kanté, who is in his 30s.
On the other hand, Manchester United have been looking for a talented defensive midfielder for the past few seasons and have been linked with Rice on several occasions.
Since the departure of the club's legendary player, Paul Scholes, the Red Devils have been in constant search for a gifted defensive midfielder who could help them compete for trophies, prompting their interest in the midfielder.
To fend off interest in Declan Rice, West Ham placed a £150 million price tag on him, and this summer, there is growing confidence that the London club will keep him since no club are ready to splash such an amount.
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Declan Rice has spent his entire career with West Ham United, graduating from the club's youth system. He had his best season in the red jersey last season, making 50 appearances for the Hammers, the most since his promotion to the senior team in 2017.
The Kingston upon Thames London-born player is currently on holiday in Las Vegas, United States, after participating in England's Nations League group stage matches in June and is expected to return to West Ham United's pre-season friendlies in the coming weeks.
With a hefty price tag placed on Declan Rice, Chelsea's priority this summer is to strengthen their attacking and defensive positions after losing many players in those positions, with new owner Todd Boehly ready to spend over £200 million in the current transfer window.
The Blues are interested in signing Manchester City's Raheem Sterling, Everton's Richarlison, Leeds United's winger Raphinha, and Sevilla's defender Jules Koundé to boost their squad ahead of next season, but will face a stiff battle with other top clubs, including Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Barcelona.