According to The Sun, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard sees West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice as the ideal man to help his club get back in the Premier League title mix, and the Blues are ready to make a firm offer for him this summer.
The Hammers rate the 21-year-old at £80 million, but the Stamford Bridge outfit reckon they can get him for less after parting with £20 million less than the amount Leicester City initially wanted for Ben Chilwell.
West Ham are yet to make any signing this summer after sealing a permanent move for Tomas Soucek, and they need to sell before they buy.
While manager David Moyes wants to offload Felipe Anderson and Manuel Lanzini in order to raise much-needed funds, there is limited interest in the duo, and unless bids come in soon selling Rice may be the only option.
Chelsea are more than ready to do business as they admire the youngster’s defensive versatility, and it will be interesting to see if the Hammers will cave in to their demands.
The Stamford Bridge outfit have already brought in Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Chilwell, Malang Sarr and Thiago Silva this summer as they look to assemble a squad capable of winning the title going forward, and Lampard believes landing Rice will help boost his chances.
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