Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have reportedly been handed a major blow in pursuit of Declan Rice, with West Ham United unwilling to sell him.
According to an exclusive report by The Sun, West Ham United are firm in their stance of keeping hold of Declan Rice even if any prospective suitor tables a bid worth £100 million. Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are among the clubs keen on signing the English international.
Declan Rice began his youth playing days with Chelsea before moving across London to finish his footballing education at West Ham United. Since breaking into the Hammers’ first-team setup, the 22-year-old has not looked back, establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in the Premier League in the last four years.
Now a mainstay for club and country, the English international has amassed 160 appearances for West Ham, chipping in with eight goals and as many assists in the process. His progress has not gone unnoticed, with Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United among his suitors.
Chelsea hold a long-standing interest in Rice, having looked to re-sign him in the last couple of years. The Blues were particularly keen on securing his signature when Frank Lampard was in-charge of the club. However, the continued interest does not make much sense, especially in the wake of Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s resurgence and Conor Gallagher’s impressive displays on loan for Crystal Palace.
As for Manchester City, they are in the market for a long-term successor for Fernandinho, who will turn 37 when the ongoing season ends. To that end, Rice is the ideal candidate to fill the void of the veteran Brazilian midfielder for the next decade. However, City have also been linked with Denis Zakaria, Frenkie de Jong and Toni Kroos recently.
Manchester United are also in the hunt for Rice, along with Manchester City and Chelsea. Their interest makes a world of sense amid their well-documented struggles in midfield this season. And Rice is just the kind of player needed in the Manchester United squad to provide the missing stability in the middle of the park.
However, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City have all been handed a major blow in their pursuit of Rice, with West Ham unwilling to sell him for any cost. The Hammers might not even cash in on him if a suitor is ready to pay £100 million, as they are hoping to become a serious UEFA Champions League side for years to come, with Rice at the centre of their project.
So, it looks like Chelsea, Manchester City, and Manchester United will likely have to turn their attention elsewhere in search of a midfield reinforcement. Having said that, it remains to be seen if West Ham’s resolve can be broken by an enticing enough offer.
