Declan Rice to Chelsea
With the January transfer window open, West Ham’s Declan Rice is once again linked with a move to London rivals Chelsea…
It’s a transfer rumour that pops up every window to the point it gets comical when it doesn’t happen, similarly to Wesley Sneijder to Manchester United and Julian Draxler to Arsenal.
This article will detail some of the reasons as to why Chelsea should capitalise on this rumour and sign the 21-year-old wonderkid.
Via Getty Images
Firstly, it is important to note that Rice has been reportedly been offered a new deal at West Ham.
The Hammers fans see him as the next Mark Noble, the future captain of the club who will bleed claret and blue for the rest of his career.
But whilst preliminary talks regarding a new contract have begun, it is unclear on whether or not Rice will commit his future to the club which is why Chelsea should act in the upcoming transfer window.
Whilst Rice does represent West Ham with great passion and pride, let’s not forget he was a Chelsea fan as a child and was even played for the club at academy level.
This may potentially make negotiations slightly easier for Chelsea should they try to lure the midfielder back to his boyhood club.
Secondly, the transfer makes sense for Frank Lampard’s squad as he has built a youthful British core since becoming head coach of Chelsea.
Players such as Reece James, Tammy Abraham, and Ben Chilwell have played important roles at the club.
Perhaps more significantly is Mason Mount, Rice’s lifelong friend, which could make the transition from West Ham to Chelsea easier should he make the move.
Playing with his international teammates could also help solidify his spot in Gareth Southgate’s upcoming England squad as we get closer to a EURO tournament.
Declan Rice to Chelsea also makes sense for tactical reasons.
A major part of the criticism Lampard faces is the fact that there are question marks over Chelsea’s defensive capabilities.
Whilst new signing Edouard Mendy has kept six clean sheets at the time of writing, it is fair to assess that the defence could still do with improvements.
When looking at Chelsea’s line-ups this season, there seems to be a rotation in the defensive midfield area.
Jorginho and N’golo Kante play in rotation, but it is fair to say that neither player has made the position their own so far under Lampard this season.
On the other hand, Rice has played every minute so far for West Ham in the Premier League this season.
Similarly, he played every minute of the 2019/20 campaign, thirty-four appearances in the 2018-19 season, and an impressive fifteen appearances in his debut season.
A clean bill of health on his injury record, Rice could be a consistent player for Chelsea for many years.
His reliability doesn’t end there.
Rice has never been sent off in the league and has only picked up twelve yellow cards in 117 appearances.
He has also won twenty-seven tackles this season, ranking him at sixth in the leaderboard for successful tackles.
Last season he won eighty-nine which was the most in the league.
Standing at 185cm (6ft 1in), he makes use of his long legs and upper body to displace attackers with ease.
He is also taller than both Kante and Jorginho, which may be beneficial for defending and attacking set-pieces.
With better players around him and a team that can retain possession better compared to West Ham, it is fair to predict that Rice could take Chelsea’s defence to the next level.
It must be mentioned that his overall abilities as a player are underrated.
Starting his career as a centre-back, an important part of Rice’s game is to sit back and drop into the position when Angelo Ogbonna, Issa Diop, or Fabian Balbuena push forward.
With Kurt Zouma popping up with four goals from centre-back for Chelsea this season, tactically it may be something Lampard will want to experiment with in the future.
He also has great shooting abilities that have gone under the radar. Often taking shots from long-range, working under Lampard, who achieved 177 goals from midfield during his playing career, could see him take his shooting to the next level and really begin to stand out.
His goal against Watford last season to help The Hammers during their relegation battle stands out when talking about his technique.
Furthermore, his first-ever goal for West Ham which came against Arsenal is also reminiscent of Lampard whose late runs into the penalty box often resulted in goals throughout his career.
His passing range for his role has also gone unnoticed.
With a long pass (passes over thirty yards) completion of 78%, his range is better than both Kante’s and Jorginho’s so far this season.
This is impressive as West Ham have an average possession of 43.1% which means his long passes are risky in terms of retaining the ball for his team but have an impressive return rate in comparison.
To summarise, there are many reasons as to why Declan Rice could be the final piece of the puzzle for Frank Lampard, who is building a youthful side that is expected to develop into a great squad in the near future.
The stats and the on-the-eye performances show he is ready to step into the first team, but will Chelsea pay the inevitable large transfer fee?
*Stats are correct as of 29/12/2020