Declan Rice's future will be one of the key narratives of the summer transfer window. The West Ham star will have just one year left on his current contract at the London Stadium and, with the Hammers struggling in the Premier League this year, will have a big decision to make.
Rice has established himself as a mainstay of the England team under Gareth Southgate and is regarded as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. As such, staying at West Ham, if they are not competing at the very highest level, may not be the best bet.
Chelsea have long been linked with a move for the 24-year-old, who is best friends with Mason Mount and was actually part of the Blues youth setup.
READ MORE: Arsenal told to complete Declan Rice transfer as two other players 'fit really well'
Hammers boss David Moyes has consistently said that Rice is a £100million player, but that stance may change with just a year to run on his current West Ham deal.
Chelsea have plenty of competition for Rice's signature, however, with another London club emerging as a possible destination in recent months. Arsenal have been tipped to make a move, and football.london understands he is their priority signing this summer.
Chelsea and Arsenal have gone head-to-head for players before, as recently as January with Mykhailo Mudryk making the move to Stamford Bridge having looked for all the world like he would join Arsenal. That was until Todd Boehly blew the Gunners out of the water with a big offer that Shakhtar Donetsk could not resist.
Rice, a boyhood Blue, would have a big decision to make if both teams battled for his services, considering Chelsea's current plight and Arsenal's ascent to Premier League title challengers this season.
One former Blue still believes west London is the right place for Rice, over north London though. Glen Johnson said: "I think Chelsea would be a really good fit for him. It may sound silly at the moment when the club is tenth in the league, but they won’t be there for very long.
"Chelsea have new owners who are prepared to spend a lot of money with big plans - they will definitely bounce back from this season and Declan can also stay in London. I think Chelsea would be one of the teams on his list, but let's face it, if he is available then every top team will be looking at him."
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