Rice is a unique case.

He wants Chelsea, no matter when we come in.

It would genuinely be smart to wait 1-2 more seasons before making a move. As his contract will run down, there& #39;s a chance of WHU getting relegated which makes his value plummets, and he can only improve.

Let& #39;s analyse this:

Rice is valued at £80m, if we haggle we could get him for around £65m, but imagine where we could invest that money into.

£65m easily gets you Donnarumma and a rotational winger. Alternatively, £80m likely gets you White and a WC Keeper like Donnarumma.

It is a smart move to hold out for at least a year before going in for Rice.

Not only does this save cash for other signings atm, it allows us to see Ampadu & Gilmour develop more and lets us see what they can offer long term.

And in that time it& #39;s very likely West Ham go down.

So in conclusion, as much as I rate & want to see Declan Rice play for Chelsea.

I do believe that playing the waiting game can pay off twice as much for the club in every aspect.

Youth gets to develop, other important positions get sorted, and we sign a better version of Rice.