Things are really hotting up in the Declan Rice chase, and it can only be bad for Chelsea.
Firstly because we didn’t sign the midfielder when we had the chance. Summer after summer we let the chance to buy him slip, and would then suffer in the season when we realised we were a midfielder short.
Eventually we waited too long and now he’s well out of our price range. Arsenal seemed to have a deal sewn up, but David Ornstein is today reporting that Man City have swooped in with a bid that could match or exceed West Ham’s asking price.
🚨 Manchester City expected to submit an offer to West Ham for Declan Rice today. #MCFC have serious interest in recruiting 24yo England midfielder + it is anticipated a formal bid will be lodged soon to rival Arsenal for signing @TheAthleticFC #WHUFC #AFC https://t.co/6ZNtsYPSOh
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) June 22, 2023
The second reason it’s bad is because if Arsenal do get gazumped, their attentions will turn to Moises Caicedo, Chelsea’s main target. At the very least that will jack his price up even higher, and it will likely mean he goes for Champions League football with the Gunners anyway and we’re forced back to the drawing board in our endless hunt for a centre mid.
Chelsea had no chance of signing Rice ‘summer after summer’. He wasn’t available and wouldn’t have been sold to Chelsea anyway. Winning trophies is what the boy wants, as is joining a club with integrity. Chelsea lose out on both counts.
As usual, SuperFrank is talking out his [you know what]. West Ham have always been asking more for Rice than he’s worth and we were never in the running for him—not under the Abramovich regime who had grown quite stingy toward the end, and not now when we have the likes of Caicedo and Lavia on our radar and available for less.. Folks like SuperFrank who want Rice at all costs are falling victim to the worst kind of sentimentality based purely off the fact that Rice happens to be a Brit with youth ties to the club. Get over it, SuperFrank!
This is why chelsea should not delay in recruiting such players otherwise we lose them. Now that we are not playing any Europe competition, our money should speak for us.