Man Utd & Chelsea in battle to sign 23-year-old star but deal will cost over £100m | OneFootball

Manchester United and Chelsea face a battle with Manchester City to sign Declan Rice next summer in a deal that would cost in excess of £100m, according to reports via Football London.

Rice was on the books with Chelsea as a youngster but joined West Ham when he was released in 2014 and has developed into one of the best talents in British football since breaking into the Hammers first team three years later.

The 23-year-old midfielder is now an integral part of David Moyes’ team and has made over 170 first team appearances while he’s also a regular in the senior England squad with 27 caps to his name so far.

Rice’s impressive performances have attracted interest from the upper echelons of the Premier League with Chelsea and Manchester United both strongly linked with a move over the past few transfer windows.

Football London says Chelsea are keen to lure Rice back to Stamford Bridge as Blues boss Thomas Tuchel looks to strengthen his options in the middle of the park at the end of the season.

The German coach already has N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic at his disposal but with Saul Niguez expected to head back to Atletico Madrid following a disappointing loan spell, Chelsea are in the market for another midfielder this summer and Rice is a top priority.

Man Utd are also reportedly in the market for midfield reinforcements with Paul Pogba tipped to depart on a free transfer when his contract expires in June and Rice is widely touted as a key target for the Red Devils.

However, it looks like the race is hotting-up even further as Football London are citing a report from Telegraph that claims Manchester City have joined Chelsea and Manchester United in the chase to sign Rice.

Pep Guardiola is believed to hold a ‘strong interest’ in the West Ham midfielder and he may view the England international as a long-term replacement for Fernandinho – who turns 37 in May.

Rice was widely valued at around £100m last year but with three of Europe’s most powerful clubs battling it out, it’s no wonder that David Moyes suggested in October 2021 that it will now cost a more to lure him away from the London Stadium this summer.

The Hammers will be reluctant to sell their star man so the likes of Chelsea, United and City will have to dig deep if they want to persuade them to cash-in, but there is no doubt Rice would be a terrific signing for any club if they could get a deal agreed.