Chelsea will have to wait until the summer to secure a deal for West Ham United star Declan Rice with the east London outfit not willing to sanction his exit in the January transfer window.
Rice is widely tipped to leave West Ham at the end of the season with Chelsea and Manchester United in the mix for the England international midfielder’s signature in order to bolster their engine room.
According to a report from The Athletic, it is claimed that The Hammers will allow Rice to depart only in the summer window next year with the player holding no desire to extend his stay beyond 2024 when his contract expires.
The England international is looking to leave the West Ham fold on amicable terms after turning down three extension offers with Rice, a former Chelsea youth academy prospect, keen to make a switch elsewhere and feature in the Champions League.
West Ham would be hoping to pocket a sizeable fee from Rice’s sale and David Moyes’s side will be aware that Chelsea have identified Rice as their priority target for the coming transfer windows.
