Ruben Loftus-Cheek could be direct replacement for Declan Rice
Chelsea could offer three players to take Declan Rice away from West Ham in the summer transfer window as the England midfielder is again linked with a move to Stamford Bridge.
According to the Express, the Blues could reignite their interest in Rice at the end of the season despite previous reports that their hunt to sign him died when Frank Lampard left West London [Telegraph].
It is now understood Chelsea could tempt the Hammers into selling their prize asset by potentially offering them defender Andreas Christiansen, midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek and striker Tammy Abraham.
Thanks – but no thanks
As much as we need to see David Moyes strengthen the squad in a number of areas in the summer, there’s not many players we’d be happy to see the club sign if it means Rice is leaving.
We’re pretty confident about Rice staying. If we qualify for the Champions League, it’s unlikely he’d want to leave and the same probably goes with the Europa League.
If we don’t qualify for Europe then obviously there’s a bigger chance of Rice going but everything that linked him with a move to Chelsea suggested that Lampard was the pushing power behind it all.
It doesn’t mean we don’t take any of those players, though.
Abraham is a no-brainer. We need a striker and he’s proven in the Premier League so you can put a check next to his name.
We have a bit more of a doubt about Christiansen and Loftus-Cheek but the latter would definitely be someone who’ll come in and replace Rice in more of a ‘like-for-like’ kind of way than anyone else.
Loftus-Cheek has been on loan at Fulham this season with the 25-year-old, who’s capped 10 times by England, playing 26 times in the Premier League for the Cottagers.
He’s someone who was tipped to have a lot of potential earlier in his career but you don’t really hear too much about him.
In December, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher argued about the midfielder’s potential and his ability on Sky Sports.
As quoted by Football.London, Carragher said: “We say that [it’s a big season for Loftus-Cheek] every season.”
Neville responded: “He needs to play every week, play 40 games a season, year in, year out and have consistency and belief, and I’m sure he’ll have a great career.”
The Manchester United legend added: “I take offence to statements like that because you’re judging him against expectations he hasn’t set for himself.
“What Jamie’s judging him against is the expectations. He didn’t set those expectations. He’s got a massive talent, he hasn’t played enough games to have a chance to show his full potential yet.”
Loftus-Cheek is unlikely to have much of a future at Chelsea. He’s played in attack-minded positions at Fulham this season but has scored only once and failed to register a single assist from the midfield.
We could get by without him. But we couldn’t get by without Rice.
In other West Ham news, Frank McAvennie wants the Irons to sign this “London boy” who he claims is friends with Rice.