Declan Rice grand plan outlined as Maria Granovskaia reportedly could sell £104m Chelsea duo

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According to a report from the Express, Marina Granovskaia is desperate to grant Chelsea boss Frank Lampard his wish by signing West Ham ace Declan Rice in January. And Blues duo Kepa Arrizabalaga and Antonio Rudiger could be sold in order to raise funds for the Hammers star.

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The 21-year-old has been in absolutely superb form over the past two or three seasons.

Rice has excelled in defensive midfield for West Ham this season.

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard views Declan Rice as a centre-back, however, and sees him as Thiago Silva’s long-term successor (Express).

The Express claims Lampard has identified the Hammers starlet as his priority signing either in January or next summer.

It is suggested that Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia is determined to grant the Blues boss his wish. She has allegedly put Kepa Arrizabalaga and Antonio Rudiger up for sale in order to raise cash to fund the west London outfit’s swoop for Declan Rice.

Kepa was signed from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2018 for around £71 million (BBC).

Rudiger, meanwhile, was brought in from Roma in the summer of 2017 for around £33 million (BBC).

Chelsea would be lucky to get even half of that £104 million outlay back for both players now.

West Ham value Rice at £80 million (The Times). So Chelsea will have to go big if they want to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

It will be vital for David Moyes to keep the 13-capped England international at the London Stadium, however.

If we are to make genuine progress as a football club, we need to be keeping our best player. And Rice is head and shoulders above everyone else.

In order to tempt the 21-year-old into staying in east London, however, West Ham need to prove to him that they have the ambition to reach the next level.

And that will be all on the Hammers owners. If they back Moyes in the transfer market, there is no reason why we won’t be able to keep hold of Declan Rice.

He is our main man. And selling him to Chelsea is unthinkable. It may well be out of our hands, however, if the Blues come knocking with ‘Bank of England’ money as David Moyes put it recently.