Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has identified Declan Rice as part of the answer to his side's defensive woes last season but getting the signing target to Stamford Bridge could prove harder than expected. According to West Ham United, the center back is not leaving soon, at least not for offers priced below £80 million.
The Hammers said there is no bid yet on Rice coming from the Blues, adding that any offer to buy the defender will be rejected outrightly. And that is so if the offer sheet will only read £50 million, which is the reported amount that Chelsea will pay for the star.
But West Ham insisted that such an offer is non-existent and the club made clear there is no plan to release the 21-year-old, who started out with Chelsea as a youngster, anytime.
It is understood that the East London club expects Rice to continue with the side for years to come, Metro reported.
West Ham might consider starting on negotiation but only if the value placed by the club on the midfielder is met and no less. However, Chelsea paying up the demand fee from the Hammers is unlikely to happen as Lampard already spent a good amount of money with the hiring of Hakim Ziyech from Ajax and Timo Werner from RB Leipzig.
Lampard has set his sight too on Kai Havertz and his budget for further acquisitions will likely be restricted once the German playmaker seals the deal. The Blues have already spent £90 million on their recent signings and getting Havertz on the books will double that amount, thus leaving little for an aggressive pursuit of Rice.
The Hammers are heading back to pre-season training on August 17 and club boss David Moyes is expecting the presence of Chelsea's signing target. Moyes said he no intention of selling Rice and the player will campaign with his side next season.
"My intention is not to sell Declan at all, my intention is to keep him ... We've no intention of letting him go," Sports Illustrated reported the Hammers coach as saying.
He added that last time he checked, an offer on Rice has yet to be received as he allowed: "Even the biggest clubs sometimes sell their best players because they get the right value."
Moyes warned that making a bid on Rice will surely cost a prospective buyer, pointing out that the player's price tag will break the bank.
Rice has a deal with West Ham that runs until 2024 and the team has the option to extend for another 12 months.
