Chelsea have clearly made some strides this season and it’s starting to look like some of their summer transfer business is starting to pay off.
They look more dangerous in attack thanks to the goal threat of Timo Werner and the creativity of Hakim Ziyech and Kai Havertz, while the defence has started to look much more solid thanks to the addition of Edouard Mendy.
It’s demonstrated that having a good goalkeeper can make a world of difference, but there’s still a feeling that they need a holding midfielder to complete the team.
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Declan Rice was touted as a major target in the summer and it doesn’t sound like that interest has gone away, so some recent comments from Fabrizio Romano on his “here we go” podcast indicate that Chelsea will return with another bid in January.
Getting the player to agree the move won’t be the problem in the slightest here, with Romano suggesting that personal terms have already been agreed and he’s eager for this to go through.
West Ham clearly won’t want him to go but it’s hard to tell if their negotiating position has been strengthened by refusing to let him go in the summer.
It’s possible that their financial situation will have worsened so they could be forced to accept a lower bid, while Rice could also demand a transfer and that could hurt them.
He would finally give Chelsea solid defensive option who’s solid on the ball while also providing an effective shield for the back four, so he could be the final piece of the puzzle for Frank Lampard if they manage to pull this off.