Chelsea are set for a huge test this summer in their chase of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice with Manchester City ready to launch a bid of their own for the highly-rated ace. Manchester United have also made Rice a priority ahead of the summer with new manager Erik ten Hag facing an early test.
Thomas Tuchel is looking to bolster his midfield options as a priority this summer with both Jorginho and N'Golo Kante set to enter the final year of their respective deals. Mateo Kovacic has been Chelsea's outstanding midfielder this season but beyond the trio there is little in the way of top-class support.
So attentions have turned to the future. Rice is among those targeted by the Blues alongside Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni and Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham. West Ham are understood to want in excess off £100 million for the 23-year-old this summer with no pressure on the Hammers to sell due to his length of contract in east London. But in the same week he rejected a new deal in east London, Tuchel expressed his admiration for the player ahead of the clash between the two sides on Sunday.
