Frank Lampard dismissal drives down Chelsea interest in Declan Rice — reports

Frank Lampard looked at former Chelsea prospect and current West Ham midfielder Declan Rice as someone who could serve as a needed backup and ultimately a needed successor to the phenomenal N’Golo Kanté.

But that possibility is likely to remain just that, a “could”, as Chelsea’s prospects of bringing him back to the club are no longer as high as they were just a few days ago. According to reports from the Guardian and the Telegraph, former manager Frank Lampard was the main reason why Rice was so high in our transfer priority list. Now that Frank is gone, Rice is no longer a primary target.

The reports claim that Chelsea are not keen on spending such huge sums of money on a former player. It is believed West Ham would want £80m, especially with other teams like Manchester United and Liverpool reportedly interested as well.

In the meantime, players who might have been used to fund this transfer might get a second chance under (presumed) new head coach Thomas Tuchel. Veterans Antonio Rüdiger, Jorginho and Marcos Alonso, who have had few, if any chances to play this season, might find time to shine with the new sheriff in Cobham-town.