Football London have identified three potential alternatives for Chelsea if West Ham midfielder Declan Rice proves too expensive.
As mentioned in a report by the Express, Chelsea explored the possibility of signing Rice over the summer, but were not keen on meeting his highly-inflated asking price, which they claim to be £80M.
Rice has emerged as an important figure for both West Ham and England, but £80M is a laughable price-tag to place on the midfielder, and epitomises just how skewed the transfer market has become.
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You can’t blame Chelsea for not digging deep in their pockets to get that one done, but the fact remains that Frank Lampard needs a natural defensive midfielder in his squad.
Football London have picked three players who Chelsea should pursue instead. Players who have a similar profile to Rice, but who would only cost a fraction of the price.
They are Red Bull Salzburg duo Enock Mwepu (22-years-old) and Majeed Ashimeru (23-years-old), and Zenit St Petersburg’s Wilmar Barrios (27-years-old).
It remains to be seen if Marina Granovskaia will be calling up any of their respective clubs to get a deal done, or if Lampard will insist that Rice is the man for him.