Pranav Nair
Chelsea drop interest in Manchester United target Declan Rice
According to Daily Mail, Chelsea have dropped their interest in Manchester United target Declan Rice.
The Red Devils are keen on the 21-year-old West Ham United star. Rice has gone from strength to strength and is one of the best midfielders in the league today. (h/t Manchester Evening News)
Chelsea have been linked with Rice for some time now and were still favourites to sign him. However, with Frank Lampard no more the manager, they do not appear to be in the running anymore.
While Lampard viewed Rice as a priority, the same cannot be said of the Chelsea board, who were reluctant to splash the cash on their former academy star.
The Blues hierarchy were irritated by Lampard’s persistence at calling for the midfielder’s signing. With him no more at the helm, they can now pull the plug and do things their way. (h/t Metro)
Rice, for his part, was open to a return to Chelsea. He also admitted to his friends that a move to United was out of the question. With the road to the Bridge now closed, it remains to be seen if he will reconsider a potential switch to Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has rebuilt United into a competent fighting machine. While there are still weaknesses to be eradicated, the team appears to be on the right track.
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Nemanja Matic is not getting any younger and Paul Pogba faces an uncertain future. To add to it, Rice is a better talent than either Fred or Scott McTominay.
Rice’s versatility to also play in defence is an added bonus, especially so given our need for a centre-back. The youngster would make a fine addition to the United side. Whether we can secure him remains to be seen.
