Chelsea are still expected to make a move for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, according to CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs.

The England international has been regularly linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge over the past couple of years but there had been doubts about whether a deal was still likely after the club’s change of ownership. Todd Boehly has made some significant changes since arriving, having overhauled the recruitment team and hired manager Graham Potter but, responding to podcast presenter Alex Goldberg on Twitter, Jacobs said Rice is still on the Blues’ radar:

There’s a very real chance.👀

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) October 23, 2022

Rice is reportedly refusing to sign a contract extension with the Hammers, which means their negotiating position will not be as strong next summer as it has been in previous years.

However, even though the 23-year-old’s current deal does expire in 2024, David Moyes’ side do have an option to extend it for another twelve months so they may still demand a fee in excess of £120m for the player.