Pundit Exclusive: West Ham star tipped to exit in 2021 after big Athletic reveal
Paul Robinson has tipped Chelsea to sign West Ham midfielder Declan Rice next year.
The former England number one, speaking exclusively to Football Insider correspondent Dylan Childs, suggests the spending power of Frank Lampard's side will eventually get a deal for the 21-year-old over the line in January or the summer.
The Athletic revealed on Sunday that Chelsea plan to make another attempt to sign the England international in January having seen their advances rebuffed in the summer.
The report claims that the Blues hope Rice will ignore West Ham's efforts to convince him to stay and sign an improved contract at the London Stadium.
The centre-midfielder has not missed a single minute of Premier League action for the Hammers since May 2019 and has captained the side in the absence of Mark Noble.
When asked by Football Insider if he expected Rice would complete a move across London next year, Robinson said: "This transfer just keeps rumbling on.
"It was supposed to happen in the summer.
"Frank is obviously a big fan of Declan Rice and he clearly sees him as part of the jigsaw puzzle at Chelsea.
"Unfortunately for smaller clubs, when the likes of Chelsea come with their spending power the transfer does tend to happen.
"Whether that be in January or the summer, I think we will see Declan Rice in a Chelsea shirt before the end of 2021."