Chelsea are now unlikely to sign Declan Rice despite missing out on a deal to bring Manuel Ugarte to Stamford Bridge from Sporting CP.
That is according to the Guardian.
If that really is the case, then Mauricio Pochettino may be left feeling quite disappointed given his reported thoughts about Declan Rice.
What’s the story?
Well, despite a claim from ESPN stating that Chelsea were close to signing Ugarte, the Uruguay international is now heading to PSG.
As a result, Chelsea are exploring alternatives to the South American, with 90min suggesting that the Blues could move to sign Rice as Arsenal question whether to pay his £100m price tag.
This particular story claimed that Pochettino is a huge fan of the England international and views him as a major upgrade on Chelsea’s existing midfield options.
However, the Guardian believe it is unlikely that Chelsea sign Rice after missing out on Ugarte, with Arsenal favourites to secure the West Ham No.41’s signature.
Who Chelsea could sign instead of Declan Rice
By the sounds of it, Chelsea already know who they want to sign after PSG beat them to Ugarte’s services.
A claim from talkSPORT stated that Southampton wonderkid Romeo Lavia is now in Chelsea’s sights, with talks over a deal for Brighton No.25 Moises Caicedo also expected to intensify.
In our view, it should encourage Chelsea fans to see the Blues move so swiftly onto other options – it suggests Boehly and his team have a clear plan of who they want to sign this summer, and what they will do if one particular deal collapses, like Ugarte.
It should also mean Chelsea are not forced into paying silly fees, as the Blues aren’t putting all of their eggs into one basket.
Be sure to keep an eye on this situation, as we believe Lavia and Caicedo are both obtainable targets for Chelsea.
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