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Chelsea are leading the race to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, according to reports, with the England international determined to seek pastures new ahead of next season.
Manchester City (opens in new tab), Manchester United (opens in new tab) and Liverpool (opens in new tab) have also been linked with Rice’s signature, but Chelsea are thought to be in pole position as things stand.
That is according to a report by The Athletic (opens in new tab), which states that the Blues may benefit from the fact that Rice was previously on their books as a youngster.
The midfielder, who is valued at £70.8m by Transfermarkt (opens in new tab), is under contract with West Ham until 2024, although the club has the option to extend his deal by another 12 months.
But Rice has already hinted that he wishes to leave West Ham (opens in new tab) at the end of the current campaign.
“I’ve been playing consistently well for my club and I feel like I really want to keep pushing. I see my friends here who are playing Champions League and for big trophies,” he said during the World Cup.
“You only get one career and at the end you want to look back at what you’ve won and the biggest games you’ve played in.”
The midfielder has reportedly rejected three contract offers from the Hammers, making it clear that he believes his long-term future lies away from the London Stadium.
Rice and his current team return to Premier League action against Brentford (opens in new tab) on Friday, with West Ham currently just one point above the relegation zone (opens in new tab).
More Chelsea stories
Chelsea are on red alert amid reports that Juventus could try to prise Mason Mount (opens in new tab) away from Stamford Bridge.
The Blues are one of three Premier League clubs (opens in new tab) looking to sign Josko Gvardiol, who has starred for Croatia at World Cup 2022.
And N’Golo Kante, who is currently injured, wants to secure a transfer to Barcelona (opens in new tab) in next month’s window.
