Chelsea's pursuit of Declan Rice has spanned over several seasons without any luck so far, with the midfielder still at West Ham despite attempts to lure him away. However, with the England international's contract running down, it appears as though a move is more and more likely.
Rice even hinted at a transfer during the World Cup when asked if he wants to feature in more for the future: "100%. For the last two, three years, I’ve been saying that. I’ve been playing consistently well for my club, and I want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are winning the Champions League and winning the big trophies.
"You only get one career. At the end of it you want to look at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in. I’m really ambitious.” With that in mind, the Blues could look to pounce on a move, but it would still be dependent on striking a deal with the Hammers.
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It means the London side will be looking for a replacement in the near future and a World Cup star may be the solution to just that. That's because the Daily Mail claims that West Ham are among a number of Premier League clubs eyeing a move for Morocco international midfielder Azzedine Ounahi from Angers.
The Irons aren't the only team interested though after his impressive performances on the grand stage, with Angers president Said Chabane confirming the club has received multiple offers from top European clubs. He told RTL Sport: "We have offers for Azzedine Ounahi.
"Approaches from big clubs and medium clubs. It comes from everywhere. Italy, Spain, England and France. Our wish is to find a deal in January, but that it remains until the end of the season."
Should West Ham see that as a move to replace Rice in the transfer window, it could prove that the World Cup star Ounahi has helped Todd Boehly finally land his dream midfield target.
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