Manchester United and Chelsea have reportedly received some mixed news on a potential transfer swoop for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
The 21-year-old has shone as one of the brightest young prospects in the Premier League for some time now, and surely has a big move ahead of him in the near future.
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According to Don Balon, Real Madrid are also interested in signing Rice, providing some big-name competition for Man Utd and Chelsea.
While that could be bad news for United and Chelsea as West Ham would surely rather sell one of their best players abroad, Don Balon do at least claim that his asking price is only around £44million.
This is down from as high as £70m, according to a recent report from the Sun, so Rice could end up being a bargain for whoever wins the race for his signature.
The England international could be a useful signing for United if they can get him, with the Red Devils surely in need of a long-term replacement for Nemanja Matic.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has signed a few young British talents in recent times, as well as promoting similar players from the club’s academy, so Rice could be a good fit in terms of the Norwegian’s strategy.
Chelsea, meanwhile, could perhaps also do with a defensive midfield signing, with Rice an ideal young successor to the ageing and injury-prone N’Golo Kante.
Rice left CFC’s academy earlier in his career and fans may well be eager to see him back at Stamford Bridge.
It’s never easy to turn down Real Madrid, however, and a growing number of English players have recently moved abroad to further their careers.