Tuchel urged Boehly to sign £150m star at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel ‘really wanted’ to complete a deal for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice in the transfer window, and asked the club’s new owners to make it happen, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

Tuchel oversaw a busy few months of business at Stamford Bridge and the German now knows his squad until the next window swings open in January.

What did Chelsea get up to this summer?

Todd Boehly and his consortium completed their takeover of the Blues towards the end of last season and have not been shy in splashing the cash straight away.

Over £250 million was spent on new arrivals, with Barcelona striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the last to make the move, signing on deadline day to bolster the club’s striking options.

Juventus midfielder Denis Zakaria also joined Chelsea on loan on deadline day, to offer support to the likes of N’Golo Kante and Jorginho.

Centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly and winger Raheem Sterling were among the first stars to move to west London under the new regime, signing from Napoli and Manchester City respectively.

Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana joined them, further shoring up the defence, while Carney Chukwuemeka and Gabriel Slonina have moved with one eye on the future.

It has been a summer of change too, however, with big names such as Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Emerson all departing for pastures new.

What has Phillips said on Rice?

Phillips understands that one big name the club failed to land, however, is West Ham ace Rice.

Despite the Hammers demanding £150 million for their captain, Tuchel was eager to seal a deal in the transfer window and spoke to Boehly and co. regarding the move.

Phillips told GIVEMESPORT: “I know for a fact that Thomas Tuchel really wanted Declan Rice. At the start of the window, he was talking to staff at Cobham about how much he wanted Rice and he was definitely a target that Tuchel put to the new owners as well.”

Would Rice be a good signing for Chelsa?

Rice is one of Europe’s most highly rated midfielders and already boasts an abundance of experience.

The 23-year-old has 172 Premier League appearances to his name, contributing six goals and 10 assists in that time.

He has also already notched 32 England caps, becoming one of Gareth Southgate’s key men ahead of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and has previously been described by Teddy Sheringham as ‘unbelievable‘.

Having previously been a member of the Chelsea academy, the £62,000 per-week star would take little time to adapt to his new surroundings and, if it is a possibility in future windows, the Blues would be crazy not to make a move.

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