Exclusive: Chelsea offering three senior stars to West Ham in exchange for Declan Rice
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Exclusive: Chelsea offering three senior stars to West Ham in exchange for Declan Rice

Wayne Veysey
Wayne Veysey

Founder & Managing Director AUTHORITY Former chief correspondent at Evening Standard, Goal and Press Association with nearly three decades in national, regional and digital news and sports journalism. Wayne directs the network’s news strategy and high-level operations. FOCUS Editorial direction for the 11-site network and newsroom management. THE BRIEF Wayne oversees the network’s editorial standards across the network. He provides the final sign-off on all headline scoops, ensuring content across all platforms meets the standards required for a high-velocity newsroom.

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Chelsea will be offering to West Ham three of their senior stars in potential exchange bids for Declan Rice, Football Insider can reveal.

The west Londoners have made the 21-year-old one of their top targets and are plotting various offers in what is set to be a complex and expensive summer pursuit.

Rice's mammoth price tag means a straight cash deal would be very difficult even for a club of Chelsea's riches and especially in the wake of the new signings of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech.

A Blues source has told Football Insider the club will offer West Ham one or more of Fikayo Tomori, Kurt Zouma and Michy Batshuayi in exchange for Rice.

Chelsea are willing to be flexible on any of the trio, although Tomori will only be available for a season-long loan.

Zouma and Batshuayi, who have both been targeted by West Ham in the past, could be offloaded on loan or permanently.

Chelsea's willingness to let the trio head to east London is a measure of how keen they are to sign Rice.

Frank Lampard and his assistant Jody Morris are both big admirers of the versatility and pedigree of the England international.

They like the fact he can play in defence and central midfield, and believe he has the potential to play at elite Premier League and Champions League level.

Rice's future is up in the air regardless of whether West Ham survive relegation from the Premier League.

In addition to interest from Chelsea, Football Insider revealed earlier this week that Man United are back in for the 21-year-old after previously going cool on him.

Chelsea are also planning to listen to offers for Jorginho, 28, to raise funds for their other summer signings after he slipped down the pecking order either side of the lockdown.

In other West Ham news, it can be REVEALED that club have set sights on signing Rangers star this summer.

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