Chelsea’s primary target for the ongoing summer transfer window remains to make a move for West Ham United midfield player Declan Rice who is a long-term target for the Blues.
Rice has been enjoying a superb Euros campaign with Gareth Southgate’s England camp who are now into the semi-finals of the competition where they are due to face an in-form Danish side.
Manchester United and Liverpool are also understood to be in the fray for the Hammers first-team star midfielder but it is believed that Chelsea enjoy being the frontrunners to sign Rice owing to the player being a former youth academy product at the Blues.
Rice is very open to the idea of sealing a move to Stamford Bridge this summer as he has snubbed efforts from The Hammers to award him with an extended deal but David Moyes is keen on pocketing a sizable fee for Rice’s move elsewhere.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has also sounded out speculation that Chelsea’s priority for the summer is to sign Rice but could be in for a tough contest with West Ham United insisting on being paid a hefty transfer fee to sanction the player’s sale, according to The Mirror.
“At the moment, Chelsea’s priority in midfield is Declan Rice.
“If they will sign a midfielder, Declan Rice will be one of the biggest possibilities.
“Then, they have to find an agreement with West Ham, and it won’t be easy because West Ham are asking for a lot of money for him.”
