Declan Rice has been dropping hints to suggest that if he is to make a big-money move away from West Ham at some point in the near future, then he will not be travelling too far to his next port of call.
Having been heavily linked with Manchester United across several transfer windows, the England international is giving the Red Devils little cause for optimism. That is because a Kingston upon Thames native wants to remain close to his roots.
With eight years spent in the academy ranks at Chelsea before moving from west to east London, Rice is not shying away from the fact that said steps could be retraced. He has said of his plans for the present and future: "I feel like I don't want to lose my roots." A man that helped his country to the final of Euro 2020 last summer has also admitted to being a Chelsea fan growing up.
Said statements will not have been lost on those at Stamford Bridge. An ambitious Premier League outfit have also generated plenty of rumours when it comes to supposed interest in a player that once slipped their net.
The Blues are not afraid of splashing the cash when it comes to countering mistakes of the past. Romelu Lukaku was once deemed surplus to requirements but returned to familiar surroundings in the summer of 2021 with money seemingly no object. Could the same approach be taken with Rice?
You get the sense that Chelsea will be rolling recruitment dice in the next window after putting collective heads together.
However, with FFP seemingly stricter than ever, Chelsea's scouting network will be looking at statistical data to ensure each transfer is a good value for money. This approach is not only seen at other clubs, but also in other industries. We see it in the entertainment sector, where people spend more time researching reviews on films to see if they're worth their time, and also in the iGaming industry, where websites scour the internet for the best online casino offers, so people can get the information they want so they can get better value for money. It's likely that the club will be looking for cheaper alternatives to Rice in case they can't land him, but he is without a doubt on their wishlist.
Is Rice ready?
Having parted with Rice once before, Chelsea have been forced to watch on from afar as he has cemented a reputation as one of the finest exponents of a holding role in the English and global game.Thoughts of what could have been will have crossed the mind of some of those at the Bridge, but questions will also have been asked of what could still be.
Acquiring Rice for a second time will, however, be far from straightforward. West Ham will not be selling without a fight and there is plenty of speculation to be found regarding supposed nine-figure sums being required in order to initiate transfer talks.
Roman Abramovich may have deep pockets, but even he may need to free up funds and space in star-studded ranks before another elaborate addition can be welcomed through the door.
N'Golo Kante could be moved on as part of that process, with the World Cup-winning Frenchman no longer a prominent figure in long-term planning. He has starred for club and country over several years, but was always going to pass the baton at some stage.
Rice is an obvious candidate to pick that up and run with it. His qualities mirror those possessed by Kante, while there is an argument for billing him as a more rounded talent across all areas of the field.
He would have big boots to fill in West London if he were to head back to where it all began, but he has passed every test put in front of him so far and could prove to be a natural heir to Kante if Abramovich and co. decide that he is worth investing heavily in.
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