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Chelsea are considering making a move for Atlético Madrid defender José Giménez, as an alternative to Declan Rice.
The Stamford Bridge side want to bring Rice back to the club where he began life in their academy, before being released, and subsequently joining the Hammers.
However, West Ham have indicated their determination to hang on to their most prized asset and are not prepared to let him go for less than £80 million.
Giménez is unlikely to come cheap either, because the Uruguayan international currently has a £109 million release clause in his contract. However, the Spanish club, facing cash flow issues because of the coronavirus outbreak, are probably amenable to negotiations as they attempt to raise funds.
Frank Lampard wants to strengthen his defence this summer and that is where he intends to deploy Rice, even though the England international has mainly played as a defensive midfielder for West Ham this season.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.