West Ham may rue their transfer window inactivity as The Telegraph reports a number of Premier League giants are to step up their pursuit of Declan Rice.
According to the paper, West Ham’s idleness in January has signalled to Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City that the 23-year-old England international could be prized away from London Stadium in the summer.
The Hammers were linked with a number of players in January, and David Moyes made no secret of his desire to recruit at least one defender before the window shut. But their failure to bring in any senior players has dealt a blow to their hopes of finishing in the top four. Failure to do so will likely signal the end of Rice's time at the London Stadium.
The England international is said to be desperate to play Champions League football, after the east Londoners fell short of qualification by just two points last season. Rice was once of the standout performs at Euro 2020 – in which England reached the final – and wants to test himself regularly at the highest level.
Chelsea have been strongly linked with Rice in the past, with Thomas Tuchel a keen admirer of the Kingston-born midfielder's technical ability and work rate. Rice is thought to be keen on the idea of moving to Stamford Bridge, where his best friend Mason Mount plies his trade.
The Blues face stiff competition for Rice from Manchester United and Manchester City, however. The Red Devils are in need of a world class midfielder, while Pep Guardiola has also been complimentary of Rice in the past.
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