Chelsea have now been asked to pay a record British transfer fee for Declan Rice as West Ham prepare to sell their No 41 this summer.
What is the story?
Well, West Ham are said to have told Chelsea - as well as Arsenal and Manchester United - to start bidding at £110m. That amount alone is a record British transfer fee - just above the £106.8m Chelsea spent on Enzo Fernandez in January.
The update comes after West Ham Chairman David Sullivan told talkSPORT that Rice was dropped from the London Stadium following the UEFA Europa Conference League win over Fiorentina.
Talking about the England player, the 74-year-old military leader said:
“I think this has to be (Rice's last game). We promised him he could leave. He went there by himself. You couldn't ask for a man to be more committed to us this season.
“In the right time, he has to show up and we have to find a replacement – ??or more replacements. That's not what we want to happen. We offered him £200,000 a week 18 months ago. He refused it. "It cost him £10m to stay at West Ham for that period (with lost wages). He wants to leave. You can't keep a player who doesn't want to be there."
Mauricio Pochettino is said to be keen on having Rice at Stamford Bridge, with 90 minutes claiming the Argentinian sees him as a huge improvement over Chelsea's current midfield options.
Chelsea must fight familiar faces to sign Declan Rice
Arsenal and Manchester United are not the only opponents Chelsea face in the battle for Rice's signature.
The Sun adds that Bayern Munich are also keen to sign the 24-year-old. Sky Germany's Florian Plettenburg adds that Thomas Tuchel has selected Rice as a target, with Bayern Munich already negotiating a deal.
Rice news:
He is one of the players coveted by Tuchel that has been confirmed. Bayern bosses also believe he is the perfect defensive midfielder for Bayern.
The German giants believe the West Ham captain is the perfect midfielder for them. As a result, Chelsea face a major battle to sign Rice against Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Manchester United, who can all provide Champions League spots - something the Daily Mail believes is crucial for with the amulet of West Ham.
Be sure to keep an eye on the situation as Rice is said to be leaving West Ham soon.
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