Chelsea have had a fresh approach for Declan Rice rejected by West Ham after Todd Boehly instructed the Blues to make contact with their London counterparts, according to reports.
For several years now the Blues have been keen on bringing their former Academy player back to the club following his rise in east London.
Rice has now become West Ham's captain following the departure of Mark Noble and is a regular for his country England under Gareth Southgate.
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Thomas Tuchel is a known fan of the 23-year-old, who has two years left on his current contract, with the option of a further year.
The Chelsea head coach was asked back in April over how highly he rates him and responded: “Very highly.
"He seems to be a very nice guy from what everybody tells me and is from the Chelsea academy and he proves this (his quality). That’s the most important thing. It feels like he plays every single game.
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“He is available, is captain, plays with a lot of responsibility, is a physical player, very strategic-minded player, a key player for his team, and is strong at set-pieces. This is not a surprise. Everybody sees this. He is a huge part of the success of West Ham and it is impressive.”
Chelsea are planning a £200 million rebuild this summer and Tuchel is set to be backed with up to six signings.
It appeared that a midfielder wasn't on their priority agenda after a source told The Telegraph: The key is to basically work with Tuchel to come up with the best players that are available.
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"We really want to make sure we have a good defence. We've got depth in midfield. We're not desperate for an out-and-out striker."
But now according to 90min, Chelsea have made contact with the Hammers over Rice but have had it rejected, insisting he is not for sale this summer. It was under the instruction of Boehly, Chelsea's co-owner, Chairman and interim sporting director.
Chelsea could look to test West Ham's resolve for Declan Rice by offering Armando Broja and Ross Barkley as part of a deal if they opt to go back for a second time.
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West Ham boss David Moyes showed no signs of panic back in April over Rice's future, who they believe they can keep this summer amid the £150 million valuation despite him turning down several contract renewals.
When asked about the contract rejections, he said: “We certainly didn’t say that. Unless you’ve got who said it then I can’t say it. We’ve not answered it really have we.
“I’ve said it and I think we have said what we think. We like Dec and he’s got three and a half years to go on his contract so I don’t think there is any big panic.
“We’ve got three and a half years so it isn’t the biggest priority. We’ve got other priorities, trying to add to the squad and get other positions in.
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“Maybe he just wants more money. People do turn down contracts. It is not unusual for players at clubs to turn down contracts, maybe it is a negotiation tactic.”
Topics: Declan Rice, Chelsea, West Ham United, Football, Premier League, Transfers
Matthew Debono