Chelsea ‘more likely’ to sign £150m star than Bellingham at Stamford Bridge

Declan Rice is looking more likely to join Chelsea than Jude Bellingham as the plans for 2023 under Todd Boehly promise more excitement, transfer insider Dean Jones explains in his latest column for GiveMeSport.

Here, Jones looks at the change we could see in midfield and in attack in the next 12 months.

Midfield: This is perhaps the most intriguing area of the field as there has been plenty of speculation around a pursuit of Bellingham and Rice.

Of the two, I am told that Rice is the more likely option. The groundwork has been laid, they know he is open to a return, he is considering leaving West Ham at the end of the season, and he is perfect for how the side set about the future.

Some sources think Potter will start to introduce a 4-2-3-1 formation at Chelsea and if that’s the case Rice – as part of the defensive midfield duo – would make sense at a time when N’Golo Kante and Jorginho could very well be counting down to their departure. Juventus remain keen on Jorginho and Kante is expected to have countless offers if Chelsea decide not to meet his demands on a new contract.

Rice, who is valued at £150m, is also a more likely option than Bellingham because Real Madrid are working to convince him to choose them as his next step from Borussia Dortmund. At this moment it seems that plan is working. 

Rice is a top target but not one for January. Denis Zakaria could have his loan deal cut short this season though and that would open to door for Chelsea to make a signing.

Leandro Trossard is a player Chelsea are keen on and it makes sense even beyond the obvious Brighton links. Potter is looking for a versatile player he knows and trusts and Trossard more than fits the bill as he is able to play on each flank and has also been used centrally in midfield and in attack.

Another midfielder, Weston McKennie, is worth keeping an eye on.

Forwards: The signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will not deter Chelsea from searching for a new striker to sign next summer.

Graham Potter wants to sound out Romelu Lukaku about his intentions and considerations while on loan at Inter Milan as he would be open to the prospect of him returning. It does not seem likely given Lukaku is extremely settled back in Italy and wants to remain in one place in order to return to form. Figures close to the player believe he remains highly driven and may see Serie A as his most likely chance of success at this stage.

It is understandable he would not want to risk another season of his career in England and with that in mind Chelsea’s search for the next centre forward is intriguing.

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Christopher Nkunku is a very likely arrival thanks to an early agreement being struck at around £52million. He has 10 goals from 16 games for RB Leipzig this season and terms are agreed in principle for this one to go ahead. 

Beyond that, Victor Osimhen is emerging as a top candidate as club officials are monitoring his performances closely and feel he would be a good fit for how they intend to take the club forwards. Napoli are currently challenging to win Serie A this season and are not going to consider the prospect of their striker, who has 70 club career goals, leaving at this stage.

It is a similar story with Rafael Leao, who Chelsea admire hugely but are unlikely to land. He has the versatility to play wide or centrally and has established himself as a star at AC Milan, who are in talks to sign him on a new contract. It is believed an extension to that is likely.

This is a key problem for Chelsea and once again reminds us why Todd Boehly was tempted to sign Cristiano Ronaldo last summer. Superstar strikers are hard to find! On the subject of Ronaldo, though, that rumour is not likely to resurface. The most recent talks over the possibility led insiders to believe even Boehly could now see why Thomas Tuchel was not keen on the idea of signing him.

Sources remain sure that Ivan Toney is on the shortlist as a striker option that has a good Premier League goals-return while Jonathan David at Lille is also on that list. 

We should bear in mind that Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech are likely to leave next year, while Armando Broja still strives to prove he fits the forward vision. 

All in all, and given we are only in October and Chelsea are having a good time of things so far under Potter, that is a lot of work to be getting on with already for next year.

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