Marina Granovskaia has been told what Chelsea must do to sign Declan Rice from West Ham
Chelsea have been told that they must break the British transfer record if they are going
to be successful in prising away long-term midfielder target Declan Rice from West Ham
next summer.
Rice was priced out of a move in the summer transfer window following a great run of form
for club and country, with the Hammers demanding in excess of £100million to release their
most prized asset.
Instead, the Blues opted to go for the cheaper option of loaning Atletico Madrid midfielder
Saul Niguez for the season, and football.london understands that the west Londoners have a
£30million buy option at the end of the loan period.
This hasn't stopped the Rice hype from a large proportion of the Chelsea fanbase, who are
keen to the former Blues academy player reunited with his best friend Mason Mount for the next
campaign.
With Saul's Premier League debut against Aston Villa not going to plan, the midfielder will
most likely have an opportunity to put things right when the west Londoners face the same
opponents in the third round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
If he doesn't start adapting soon, then this could prompt Marina Granovskaia to start thinking
about whether to go back in for long-term target Rice, with the player himself reportedly
keen on the move.
It has already been reported that the Hammers midfielder has rejected several contract offers
of a new deal from the Hammers in his attempt to leave the club in the most respectful way.
However, any move will prove very difficult for the European Champions to complete, especially
if David Moyes' words are anything to go by in regards to how much he values the Euro
2020 star.
The West Ham manager insisted back in March 2021: "I don't agree with the owners that
Declan Rice is a £100million footballer.
Far, far more than £100million.
Far, far more.
"I look at the players who have joined some clubs from overseas and come in and nowhere
near had the impact Declan Rice would have.
"I certainly wouldn't put a price on it.
You can decide which figure you want to put on it but I wouldn't be sanctioning anything
like that, that's for sure."
These remarks have been followed up by former West Ham player Kevin Nolan, who has agreed
with Moyes' comments when putting a price on the 22-year-old.
"He’s [Declan Rice] going to keep going because [of] his athleticism.
He trains every day, he wants to train every day, he can hit it from one side of the pitch
[to the other] with his right foot or his left foot," Nolan told BBC Sport after Rice
put in an impressive performance against Manchester United.
"He can run with the ball, he’s got everything that you could possibly wish for as a footballer
and plus he’s got a good footballing brain where he’s now learning for West Ham, and
he’s done it with England, he’s now learning how to control games.
"When you watch him play, he just seems in control of everything.
For me, he’s going to get better.
Putting a price tag on him, I wouldn’t sell him for £100million."
From West Ham's perspective, football.london understands that the club have never received
a bid for Rice and would not welcome one.
The current British transfer record is currently set at £100million that Premier League title
rivals Manchester City spent on Aston Villa talisman Jack Grealish in the summer transfer
window.