Chelsea are not giving up in their pursuit of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice but with Thomas Tuchel looking to bolster every area of his side this summer, they may need to box clever.
With both Jorginho and N'Golo Kante set to enter the final years of their contracts, the intention is to bolster their options with younger talent and Rice has been a long-term option. With Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour returning for pre-season, Tuchel is set to have more options but a new arrival is also in demand.
Chelsea were reportedly one of the clubs chasing Aurelien Tchouameni before Real Madrid won the race for the Frenchman and with Man City having an offer accepted for Kalvin Phillips, options are rapidly vanishing. Rice remains an option and new chairman Todd Boehly has made an approach for Rice a priority this summer despite the Hammers demanding £150 million.
