According to the rumours that have swirled around with growing intensity in the last few months, Chelsea want to buy Declan Rice, the West Ham midfielder and former Blues youth academy player.
After two full seasons as a starter for West Ham, and now an England international, Rice looks ready to step up to the next level, and it may well be at Stamford Bridge that that happens.
For now he’s the prize possession of the Hammers, where he finished his development, and according to manager David Moyes, getting him won’t be easy.
The Scottish coach today joked (we hope it was a joke, at least) that if Chelsea want his key midfield cog, he would demand his countryman Billy Gilmour in return.
That’s a pretty steep fee, and not one Chelsea would ever agree to.
“I was laughing because I keep getting told that Chelsea want Declan Rice, so I thought well I might just decide I want Billy Gilmour and see how it goes,” the former Manchester United manager jested in quotes picked up by the Evening Standard.
Rice looks a good player, and one in a position that Chelsea could do with strengthening – but there’s no way the club would let Gilmour, who just broke into the team before the coronavirus pause, go.
