Chelsea fans could receive a welcome transfer boost in 2023 amid suggestions that Declan Rice may finally ask to leave West Ham and return to the Blues.
Rice was let go by Chelsea as a youngster but has been consistently linked with a big money return to the club as he looks to join a team where he has a greater chance of winning silverware. Hammers' boss David Moyes has often been loathe to discuss the possibility of Rice leaving the London Stadium but when pushed, has quoted a figure of around £100million for the England international.
Now Chelsea specialist Simon Phillips has claimed that the 2023 summer transfer window could be the one that sees Rice move back to west London, although Todd Boehly will have to face challenges from a number of other leading Premier League clubs if they are going to get their man.
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West Ham insist they will not be 'bullied' into letting him go on the cheap, with Rice's former teammate and current Hammers' sporting director Mark Noble insisting any club will have to pay handsomely to land him.
“Obviously as we have heard numerous times now and from many other sources, Chelsea will target Declan Rice in the summer," Phillips wrote on his substack column. “A source expects Chelsea to ‘come in big for Rice’ in the summer, but also, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool have made their interest known to the player and West Ham.
“He’s not signing an extension with West Ham, and this will be the summer that he finally asks to leave. West Ham are ready to take offers.”
Blues supporters will just be hoping Rice leaves to join them and not a rival, with N'Golo Kante and Jorginho expected to leave Stamford Bridge when their contracts expire this summer.
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