Chelsea leading the race for Declan Rice, a good deal?

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Chelsea have reportedly revived their interest in long-term target Declan Rice.

Manchester United and Manchester City are also strong admirers of the West Ham United skipper but the Blues are believed to be leading the race to sign the England international.

Rice is a boyhood Chelsea fan. He came through the youth ranks at the west London club before being released at the age of 14. Also, he is close to several of the Chelsea stars including midfielder Mason Mount, who is his best friend.

Rice wanted by many Clubs:

Rice has been linked with a host of clubs in Europe over the last few years since his emergence into the West Ham first XI at a young age. At just 23 years of age, the defensive midfielder has become a key player for both club and country and also captains West Ham United. He has become an automatic choice in the middle of the park under Gareth Southgate in the England setup.

Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard was desperate to bring Rice back to Stamford Bridge but his successor Thomas Tuchel was not the biggest admirer of the West Ham star. However, Graham Potter is looking to revive the Blues' interest in Rice and has reportedly given gree signal to sign the 23-year-old.

Rice situation at West Ham:

Rice has already made 216 appearances for West Ham and has 39 caps for England. His contract at the London Stadium expires in the summer of 2024 which means that the Hammers will need to sell him in the summer to avoid losing him for free in another year. Also, Rice's transfer fee, which was earlier reported to be more than £100 million, could become a lot more affordable in the summer.

A perfect replacement for Kante:

Chelsea are set to go through a midfield overhaul with N'Golo Kante and Jorginho both likely to depart in the summer. Both are 31 years of age now and have their contracts expiring in the summer. Rice could be a solid signing for the Blues as they look to achieve long-term success. His experience despite his young age makes him a rather risk-free signing.