Chelsea and Manchester United reportedly remain among the main transfer suitors for West Ham star Declan Rice.
And according to a report from Don Balon, the England international could now leave his current club for as little as £44million due to the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Rice has shone for West Ham and looks one of the finest young players in Europe in his position, and Don Balon even name Real Madrid as admirers of his.
However, they add that it looks more likely that Rice will continue in the Premier League, though it’s unclear which club is the most likely to win the race for his signature, though whoever signs him could be getting an absolute bargain if he really ends up costing just £44m.
Don Balon suggest Chelsea are making Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland their priority, but there’s an argument that Rice would be a more important signing.
The 22-year-old could give the Blues more quality in the defensive midfield department, coming in as an upgrade on the likes of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic.
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On top of that, he’s also an option at centre-back, so could give Chelsea the upgrade they need on the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
United, meanwhile, also need more options in defence, with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly not looking ideal long-term options to partner Harry Maguire.
They have the in-form Fred and Scott McTominay in midfield, but could benefit from bringing in Rice as a long-term replacement for the ageing Nemanja Matic.
Manchester united should sign race
Please sign him