Barca willing to let Chelsea target leave, Lampard discusses Rice ahead of possible move, Ziyech claim made,£80m star will prioritise Chelsea move and Mbappe to be sold?
Frank Lampard has opened up and discussed long-term Chelsea transfer target Declan Rice, heading into the January transfer window.
It was no secret that Chelsea were very interested in trying to sign Rice over the summer transfer window, as they reportedly saw him as the idea man to replace the ageing Ngolo Kante, but could not get a deal done. A mixture of his £80 million price tag being an issue, the Hammers not wanting to sell and the fact Chelsea just spent over £250 million on new players meant that they would not be getting their top transfer target, in the summer window.
However, with the January transfer window just a few weeks away, there has been alot of speculation in the media that Chelsea may decide to swoop in and make an offer to try and tempt the Hammers into agreeing a transfer deal for the Englishman.
And as his Chelsea side prepare to face West Ham on Monday night, Lampard has been opening up on Rice, and discussing the decision to let him leave Stamford Bridge as a kid.
When asked if Chelsea regret ever letting him, Lampard was quoted on the Daily Express: “He’s a fantastic player for West Ham and England. Fair play. It’s a good story. It shows a strength of character. I wouldn’t say it’s a regret.
“Our academy is one of the best in the world and it’s not easy because it’s not an exact science. Declan deserves personal credit for the start he has had at West Ham.”
Financial pressures are hampering Paris Saint-Germain’s ability to retain Kylian Mbappe, which has put Chelsea on full alert.
The exciting Fenchman, who is regarded as one of the finest players in world football, is the subject of transfer speculation right now as PSG know that they need to tie him down to a new contract, especially as his current deal runs out at the end of 2022.
Chelsea and Real Madrid are two clubs that have been monitoring the situation at PSG, and are ready to pounce if he does not agree to sign a new contract and stay at the French Giants.
As is claiming that PSG may be forced to sell the likes of Julian Draxler and Leandro Paredes, but that still might not be enough to finance a new contract for Mbappe, meaning that they may be forced into letting the Frenchman leave.
And if that is the case, then Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic will be opening that cheque-book to try and bring the Frenchman to the Premier League, knowing that he the marquee signing that the club have been lacking over the last few seasons.
Amid the speculation Mbappe recently responded to speculation, and the attacker says his family will have input on the decision-making process: “We make every decision together, as a family. I think it’s the strongest possible thing,” Mbappe told Copa90. “This has pushed me higher and allowed me to be where I am today.
“Without them, it would be impossible, because sometimes you have bad moments. When you have bad moments in your career, you can see which people are there for you, and my parents are there for me every time.
“Without them, I don’t think I would have everything I do at the moment. They show me the right way to be and I’m really lucky to have these parents.”
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano believes Manchester United target Declan Rice would prioritise a move to Chelsea over any other club.
Heading into that January transfer window, United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer knows that he will need to spend some more money in order to get this current side good enough to compete for that Top four spot, and maybe a title.
That has led to speculation in the media that United are now very much interested in securing a deal for Rice, who has become one of the most dominant midfielders in the Premier League for the Hammers. However, Chelsea are another club that are keen to bring the young man to their squad and have been linked with a potential move for months, only missing out in the summer transfer window simply because his asking price was way too high.
Now, the Blues have been handed a boost in their chase to get the player signed up after Romano claimed that rice would prioritise a move to Stamford Bridge over a move to any other club.
Romano told the Here We Go podcast: “Declan Rice is still pushing to join Chelsea. But it is up to Chelsea to negotiate a fee with West Ham, which will be difficult in January.”
Barcelona are winning to listen to offers for Chelsea target Philippe Coutinho, fresh reports have emerged from Spain.
Coutinho has been in the transfer headlines alot over the past 12 months as all indications suggested that he was done at Barcelona, that the Spaniards were keen to sell on in the summer transfer window However, that did not happen as reports suggested that Ronaldo Koeman was willing to give the Brazilian a chance that he is able to play for a massive club like Barcelona, and so far this season, he has put in some very solid performances for the Spaniards.
However, according to reports on ARA, Barcelona are again willing to let Coutinho leave the club in the coming transfer window, with Chelsea reportedly looking at a possible transfer deal. Despite having some very exciting players in the squad, Frank Lampard is still in need of adding some world class quality to the centre of that midfield, especially as Mateo Kovacic and Jorginho do not put out alot of impressive numbers.
And The report also claims the emergence of teen sensation Pedri has convinced the club that they can afford to sell the Brazilian if they receive a suitable offer.
Coutinho is a world class player that should be a superstar for Barcelona, so the fact that he could have come back to the premier League this summer would have been amazing, he was brilliant for Liverpool. He may not be the same player he was at Liverpool, but Chelsea would be massive fools to not even make a move for the player as he could add even more quality to a side that is able to compete for that title