Frank Lampard admits wanting to sign Arsenal-bound star and make him club captain during his stint as Chelsea manager
Former Chelsea manager Frank Lampard wanted to sign Arsenal-bound midfielder Declan Rice during his stint with the Blues. The English tactician intended to make the West Ham United midfielder the Blues' club captain.
Lampard was in charge of the west London outfit for 18 months (from 2019 to 2021) before being replaced by Thomas Tuchel. During his stint at the club, Chelsea signed the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, and Hakim Ziyech.
However, one player the English boss wished he could sign was Rice. Lampard said in an interview on the Diary of a CEO podcast (as quoted by GOAL):
"I wanted to bring in Declan Rice. I was like ‘this kid is going to be the captain of Chelsea for the next 10 years’. It didn't happen, anyway, it is hard to dissect people's work."
However, the England international remained at West Ham United despite heavy interest from the Blues. Rice has developed into one of the Premier League's biggest midfield prospects in recent times, attracting interest from the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester City.
The West Ham skipper is now reportedly set to join Arsenal in a £105 million move (including add-ons). Rice brings with him plenty of experience in the English top tier. He has registered over 200 Premier League appearances, recording ten goals and assists each.
The Gunners will certainly benefit from the young talent's services.
“It’s not an easy deal" - Fabrizio Romano says Arsenal-bound star could hinder Chelsea's pursuit of Brighton midfielder
Arsenal's willingness to spend north of £100 million on Rice has driven up Brighton & Hove Albion star Moises Caicedo's price tag, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.
The Italian journalist claims the Seagulls are expecting an offer in a similar price range from Chelsea, who are intent on securing the Ecuadorian midfielder's services.
Romano told Caught Offside (via Football Transfers):
“It’s not an easy deal to report on as a journalist, because there are no official bids yet – it’s a daily verbal exchange between the two clubs, a direct conversation, but it is ongoing and this week they will work again on the deal."
He added:
“The player is still hoping and pushing to join Chelsea, and already has an agreement on personal terms, so that won’t be a problem. The player has said yes, and now it’s on the clubs, and Mauricio Pochettino hopes to have Caicedo as soon as possible.
Romano concluded:
“But it’s not easy because looking at the Declan Rice deal, Brighton feel they can get something like £90-100m.”
Prior to Rice's move to Arsenal, the Blues were reportedly interested in the English midfielder. The west London outfit could be willing to break the bank once again for Caicedo after failing to secure the England international's services.