Aheed Abrar
Chelsea lead Manchester United in race for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice
Premier League rivals Chelsea are leading Manchester United in the race for West Ham United and England star Declan Rice, according to The Athletic (Subscription Required) (h/t Mirror).
The Red Devils will not be the first in line to acquire the midfielder’s signature. Graham Potter is interested in bolstering his engine room and the Blues are well-placed to sign the 23-year-old.
Manchester City are also eyeing the Hammers’ captain. He wants to win trophies and the Sky Blues have been one of the most successful clubs in England in recent years under Pep Guardiola.
Rice’s current contract with the Irons expires in the summer of 2024. However, David Moye’s team have the option to extend the midfielder’s contract by a further season.
The England international came up through the youth ranks at the Stamford Bridge side before moving to West Ham. In East London, the 23-year-old has developed into a quality number six.
Rice also shone for the Three Lions at the 2022 World Cup. The 23-year-old was a pivotal player for Gareth Southgate’s team in Qatar. However, England were knocked out by France in the quarter-finals.
Chelsea’s middle of the park consists of the likes of Jorginho and N’Golo Kante, amongst others. However, the Italian and French stars are set to leave the club at the end of the current campaign.
As for Man United, we signed Casemiro in the recent transfer window to bolster our engine room. The Brazilian has brought much-needed quality to the defensive midfield position at the Old Trafford side.
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For now, the 30-year-old has cemented his place in Erik ten Hag’s starting lineup. Thus, Rice’s addition is something that the Red Devils evidently do not need for now. However, further down the line, the club should consider the West Ham captain if he is still available.
