Chelsea remain in contention for 24-year-old star after Arsenal bid rejected

Chelsea remain in contention to sign Declan Rice after an opening bid from Arsenal was rejected

As per the Telegraph (subscription required), Chelsea are set to join the Manchester clubs to rival Arsenal for Declan Rice after the Gunners’ opening bid was rejected by West Ham United.

The report reveals that a top club will make another offer in the next 24 hours. It remains to be seen which club does that. City consider Rice as a strong option and are interested in him.

Chelsea remain in contention to sign the 24-year-old England international. But, they have already told West Ham to wait as the focus is currently on selling players to generate the necessary funds.

Will the Hammers wait for a specific club, or would they sell the player to a club that offers a transfer fee close to what they demand? The latter seems to be a plausible answer unless the midfielder has a preferred choice.

Roughly 24 hours ago, the Blues rejected a £40m offer from United for star midfielder Mason Mount. It is claimed that they are still holding out for £70m even though the Englishman’s contract at Stamford Bridge expires next summer.

Are Chelsea adamant about the price tag because they want to pursue an ambitious deal like that of Rice? We could possibly say so.

After seeing Mateo Kovacic agree personal terms with City and N’Golo Kante moving to Saudi Arabia, there is a case to be made that the Blues sign an all-action midfielder like Rice to complement the technical style of Enzo Fernandez.

More Chelsea News:

• Liverpool have withdrawn from the race to sign Chelsea star Mason Mount
• Gareth Southgate calls up Chelsea star Levi Colwill for England
• Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou is an admirer of Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher

The hope is that by the time the club is ready to make an offer to West Ham, rival clubs don’t push the buttons. It sounds unlikely, but given how the Hammers rejected the first Arsenal bid, it shows that they are hell-bent on getting what they want from the sale of the player.