Who should Chelsea sign this summer, Declan Rice or Aurélien Tchouaméni? The obvious answer is both! Both players have been Chelsea targets for a long time now, and it's time to finally get some answers. Who will we sign this summer?
The odds are swaying towards Rice as our recent Champions League nemesis Real Madrid has taken a step towards signing Tchouameni. It's quite daunting that the Los Blancos could be blessed with both Eduardo Camavinga and the AS Monaco star, but it's also just as daunting having a player like Rice on your team.
Rice has once again proven that he is more than just a holding midfielder. I can't say that I am surprised.
Read More: Aurelien Tchouameni true transfer value revealed as Real Madrid make progress on Chelsea target
Monaco is demanding £83m from Real Madrid for them to sign their star asset, Tchouaméni. The 22-year-old has been linked with a move to Chelsea since the last summer transfer window, and quite frankly, the club's current situation has been the reason they have not made a move.
It may feel like we should panic as one of our main priority targets could be snatched up by the European giants. However, we still have Rice as an option. West Ham's Europa League triumph highlighted just why the 24-year-old is a target for Chelsea. A shot from just outside the penalty area put the Hammers 2-0 up against Lyon. It was an amazing effort from the East Londoner, but the stand out was Rice himself.
Social media went wild for the English International as West Ham broke their 46-year wait to enter a European semi-final. Rice was absolutely ecstatic as he made multiple posts on Twitter and Instagram. You can't help but feel like he already belongs with Champions such as Chelsea.
The Blues still have fierce competition, including Manchester United, to fend off, but the midfielder has already expressed his preference for a return to his boyhood club. West Ham would be looking for a rough amount of £100m. Not too far off of what Monaco is asking for with Tchouameni so it looks the better desirable target right now due to his Premier League experience
On top of this, Chelsea will be looking to recall Conor Gallagher from Crystal Palace to bolster their midfield options. You could probably look at these options and ask why the Blues need such a large pool of options, especially with N'Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho in the mix; however, you could also say the same for Real Madrid. You can never have too many.
The harsh reality is that Chelsea will probably miss out on Tchouaméni this summer. It's not ideal, but it isn't entirely their fault considering the sanctions against the owner, Roman Abramovich. The best-case scenario was always to get the Frenchman and Rice in one window. Having one who loves the club isn't so bad, is it?
