Chelsea’s Declan Rice pursuit and striking while the iron is hot

International tournaments like the Euros are a time when clubs can assess standout performers under a microscope. James Rodriguez famously rose to fame following his superb showing for Colombia during the 2014 World Cup, but Chelsea fans will better remember the 2018 tournament’s hot commodity, Aleksandr Golovin. It’s fun for the fans too. As supporters, we can sit and speculate which players would fit into which system. We can draw up hypothetical transfers until we’re blue in the face, as well. At the end of the day though, all we’ve learned so far is that the Blues’ interests remain unchanged.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has a relatively small summer wish list. He wants a handful of elite players to help improve his Champions League winning side. One of those names is all too familiar to the Blues’ hierarchy: Declan Rice. Rice split opinions at the club during Frank Lampard’s tenure, but at one point or another, Marina Granovskaia has to look in a mirror and be honest with herself. Lampard and Tuchel are aligned in their view of the England midfielder, he’s simply someone the club cannot avoid. Chelsea needs to move for Rice immediately following the conclusion of the Euros—or England’s exit, whichever comes first—and strike while the iron is still hot.

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Chelsea needs to swoop in for Declan Rice before the vultures begin circling.

The latest development on the situation is that Rice has turned down two contract extension offers from West Ham in recent months. He has also asked the club to notify him when a bid comes in, according to Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph. While it isn’t a public statement of discontent or desire to leave, it can be viewed as a small, respectful step in the direction of a departure. Rice loves and respects West Ham—the feeling is mutual—but he has long expressed his desire to compete for major trophies.

David Moyes’ men are coming off a brilliant campaign in which they secured Europa League football for the upcoming season. That being said, it’s still a small consolation as it relates to his England mates. Rice is currently spending his days surrounded by winners in the Three Lions’ camp.

Ben Chilwell, Reece James and Mason Mount won the Champions League. It was revealed by Law a few days ago on the London is Blue Podcast that the latter actually FaceTimed Rice from the dressing room in Porto to display his UCL winner’s medal. He’s also training with Phil Foden, Raheem Sterling, John Stones and Kyle Walker, who are Premier League champions with Manchester City. Then there’s Jude Bellingham (DFB-Pokal), Jordan Henderson (PL & UCL), Marcus Rashford (Europa League), Bukayo Saka (FA Cup), Jadon Sancho (DFB-Pokal), Luke Shaw (UEL) and Kieran Trippier (La Liga), who have all won silverware with their current clubs. Harry Kane is also present. The world class striker turns 28 later this month and has yet to win a trophy with Tottenham, providing Rice at a potential glimpse into his future if he fails to leave West Ham.

Given the midfielder’s history with Chelsea, friendships with first team players and Tuchel’s admiration for him, Rice’s move to Stamford Bridge makes too much sense not to happen. West Ham’s asking price will come down one way or another, the reported £100 million valuation of the youngster is going to take a hit with his subtle desire to leave. Regardless of the price, the Blues need to move in for Rice as soon as possible. A deal sooner rather than later benefits all parties and avoids a public relations disaster for everyone involved.

Chelsea has the most to lose in this aspect though. The Blues cannot allow the likes of Manchester United to poke around for Rice. The 22-year-old may want a move to SW6, but if Granovskaia plays hardball and ultimately can’t agree on a fee, United offers Rice a way out of West Ham. The Red Devils just wrapped up the transfer of Sancho and are now turning their focus to Real Madrid‘s Raphael Varane. It’s unlikely that the Glazer’s invest enough money to purchase Sancho, Varane and Rice all in one window, so Chelsea could secure Rice without any real competition this summer.

A sale would also allow Moyes some time to reinvest those funds into building a squad fit to compete in the Europa League. Selling your best player is never going to make much logical sense. Nevertheless, in situations like this, it’s better to do what Chelsea did with the Eden Hazard money than be Crystal Palace, who is still stuck with a mediocre squad and an aging Wilfred Zaha.

It seems like the worst kept secret in football at this point that Rice’s future lies with the Blues. Anything can happen in the transfer window, as we’ve seen on countless occasions, but it seems a certainty that Rice will return to his boyhood club one day. For Chelsea, that day is preferably before August 31.

Do you think the Blues should move for Rice? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!