Chelsea face battle to sign England stars Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice in mega-money summer moves
Chelsea are prepared to fork out over £200MILLION for both Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham as the club prepare for N’Golo Kante’s exit… but the Blues are NOT the favourites to sign either England star
- Chelsea are targeting moves for England stars Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice
- Borussia Dortmund are expected to demand £130million for Bellingham
- Chelsea have held a long-term interest in West Ham captain Rice
- The Blues hope to rebuild their midfield with N’Golo Kante’s contract expiring
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Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice have been targeted by Chelsea in a £200million double summer swoop, according to reports, but owner Todd Boehly faces a battle to secure the services of England’s central midfield duo.
Chelsea owner Boehly was reportedly in attendance as the pair impressed in England‘s World Cup opener against Iran in Qatar on Monday.
According to the Telegraph, Boehly was showing his support for current Chelsea players Mason Mount and Raheem Sterling, but also had an eye on the performances of Bellingham and Rice.
Chelsea are facing a battle to sign England stars Declan Rice, left, and Jude Bellingham, right
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Bellingham scored England’s first goal in the 6-2 rout on Monday.
His overall performance underlined why the 19-year-old is expected to be the centre of a £130m transfer race at the end of the season.
Rice also made his World Cup debut against Iran, with the West Ham midfielder the subject of long-standing interest from Chelsea.
Both England internationals are likely to cost in excess of £100m each, but Chelsea are expected to launch moves for both men.
Chelsea’s owners have reportedly made contact with Bellingham’s representatives in a bid to steal a march on their rivals, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Real Madrid all pursuing the teenage star.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly reportedly watched the pair during England’s win over Iran
Bellingham scored the opening goal in England’s win over Iran to begin the World Cup in style
Liverpool are also said to have struck up a close relationship with Bellingham’s camp, with the Reds viewed as the favourites to secure his signature.
Rice has become a key player for both club and country, racking up over 200 appearances for West Ham and earning 35 caps for England.
The West Ham captain’s has two years remaining on his current deal, with an option to extend for another year.
Rice has rejected several offers from the club to extend his stay, with the 23-year-old reportedly having no intention of signing a long-term deal.
Chelsea’s aim to bring Rice back to the club could be complicated by their under-par first half of the Premier League season, with the Blues heading into the World Cup break in eight place, eight points adrift of the Champions League places.
Rice, who was released by Chelsea when he was just 14, has publicly declared his ambition to play in the Champions League and compete for trophies.
Rice is also known for being best friends with England teammate and Chelsea star Mount and said back in 2020 to Copa90 that he would ‘love to play with Mount at club level again’.
The midfielder tweeted a photo of the pair following England’s win over Iran, saying ‘Just two best mates at a World Cup’.
Everton boss Frank Lampard admitted this week that he had previously attempted to to sign Rice and Bellingham when he was in charge at Chelsea.
Graham Potter will be hoping to succeed in a similar pursuit, which could see the Chelsea manager oversee a young English core in midfield.
Chelsea’s interest in Bellingham and Rice could mark the end of N’Golo Kante’s time at Stamford Bridge.
The French defensive midfielder has been a vital part of Chelsea’s side since joining from Leicester in 2016, making 262 appearances for the club.
Kante is in the final year of his contract and has been plagued by a series of injuries, with the 31-year-old looking increasingly likely to depart at the end of the campaign.
