Journalist Simon Phillips has claimed to GiveMeSport that Chelsea are speaking to people close to Declan Rice about him joining the club at the end of the season.
The West Ham United man is expected to be on the move at the end of this campaign, after committing a number of years now.
The Blues looked to invest in midfield during January to top off what looks a complete January rebuild.
After fierce negotiations with Benfica, they eventually got a deal over the line to bring in Enzo Fernandez for a club-record fee.
He has already shown exactly why Chelsea signed him in his first two games at the club, highlighted by a sensational assist against Rice’s side at the weekend.
Chelsea talking to Rice’s people
The Englishman seemingly already has the approval of Fernandez, with him previously praising him for his abilities. It has previously been claimed that it could take £80m to get the deal over the line.
Now, Phillips has claimed that he is still at the top of the list if the Blues look to move for another midfielder at the end of the season.
He said: “Declan Rice still tops the list, as far as I’ve been told. But with Declan Rice, they’re putting down the groundwork foundations.
“They are speaking to people close to him letting him know they’re there and that they are going to be making a move for him in the summer.”
There is certainly a chance that the Blues return for Brighton’s Moises Caicedo at the end of the season after their attempts to bring him in last month didn’t come to fruition.
With Graham Potter already having a relationship with the Ecuadorian from their time on the South Coast, it is plausible that the club will return with interest for him, especially after he made it clear last month that he wanted to move.
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