Rice sends massive Kante message with Chelsea looking to wrap up January transfer deal
Chelsea transfer target Declan Rice admits midfielder N’Golo Kante is his role model but he also wants to emulate the ability of Patrick Vieira.
It is no secret in the media that Chelsea are massive fans of Rice and were interested in getting a transfer deal done in the summer transfer window, but Frank Lampard opted to work on other areas of the pitch and not make a move for the midfielder.
But Chelsea remain interested, and amid all the speculation that they are lining up a potential move in the January window, Rice has opened up and admitted that Kante is a role model, but wants to emulate the ability of Arsenal legend Vieira.
He told The Times: “The main one I’ve always watched is Kante in my position. Sometimes in games, I get sucked out of position a little bit, attracted to the ball.
“I’m so enthusiastic to get the ball back for the team, I’m probably just better off saving my legs sometimes. I do more running than I should, put it that way.
“I’m so enthusiastic just to go and win the ball back where pretty much everything would come through me anyway if I stood right in the middle. That’s what Sergio Busquets and Kante do.
“I’ve also tried this season to run forward with the ball when there’s a bit of space. “The king of that was [Patrick] Vieira, and Yaya Toure. I’ve seen many, many clips of them doing that.
“The reason I like doing it is because it catches the eye and you don’t really get a lot of central defensive midfielders now that carry the ball forward so I want to keep doing that.”
There has been alot said about the ability of Rice, but the man is very young, he has many more years in the game, does he actually need to leave the Hammers right now? or in the next couple of windows