West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has made a final decision on his future, amid talks over his future with the Hammers. It comes as both Chelsea and Manchester United have been heavily linked with a move for the England international.
The Blues have a huge summer ahead of them, having finished the most recent Premier League campaign in third. While they set the pace early on, the West London outfit were unable to keep that up, eventually dropping off.
Cup competitions brought joy and heartache in equal measure as the European Super Cup and Club World Cup were won early in the campaign. However, their defence of the Champions League was halted by Real Madrid in dramatic fashion, while Liverpool denied them on penalties in the final of both domestic cups.
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Heading into next season, Thomas Tuchel has already admitted to needing a rebuild within his squad to keep them competitive as a number of key players are set to leave: “We are affected by it [sanctions], players are going out. We are rebuilding, not improving the squad. We are rebuilding. This is always challenging but we are up for the challenge.”
One particular area for consideration is the midfield department, with duo Jorginho and N’Golo Kante entering the final year of their contract. A whole host of players have been linked with adding to those central ranks, however, few have been eyed as long as West Ham’s Rice.
The 23-year-old has been of interest to the Blues for many seasons now, having previously been released by the club in the academy. His impressive rise to the top has seen him continue to influence games for club and country.
However, with both Chelsea and Manchester United circling, the midfielder is set to stay with the Hammers this summer, according to The Mirror. That is despite reports claiming that Rice has turned down several opportunities to sign a new deal, though manager David Moyes has claimed that it would take £150million to sign him.
Whether that would have made a deal plausible remains unclear, however it may mean that both clubs have to look elsewhere for their summer transfer targets.
