Chelsea Rumors: Blues Chief Will Only Splurge On One Major Signing In January

Chelsea is certain about who the club wants in the upcoming transfer window.

After landing three of the most in-demand signings this past summer, Chelsea is once again believed to be locking its sights on young talents in January.

West Ham United rising star Declan Rice reportedly tops the Blues recruitment list so far as well as Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.

Though Frank Lampard’s side is also said to be monitoring other prospects, Chelsea chief Marina Granovskaia is only willing to cash out on Rice, The Athletic reported.

Despite the apparent strong interest from the Blues, luring in Rice wouldn’t be as easy as it sounds as the Hammers are keen to keep the midfielder.

"I am confident he will be here because he is under contract, but whatever club you are at, even the biggest clubs sell their best players at the right value," West Ham manager David Moyes told Sports Illustrated of Rice earlier this year. "My intention is not to sell Declan at all, my intention is to keep him.”

"He is a really good player and I see him helping us, I hope that he sees what we are trying to add which will make him excited about being at West Ham,” he added.

Moyes is also confident that Rice has already decided on his future with the club when he signed an extensive contract extension in 2018.

"Declan [Rice] was reassured when he signed a five-year contract, when you do that you decide you are committed to the club,” the manager pointed out. “If somebody then turns up and offers you a bundle of cash, that's the club's decision.”

Rice was honed by Chelsea and was released from the club’s academy in 2014. Six years after leaving Stamford Bridge, the midfield star may have proven his boyhood club that he’s worth investing for.

The 24-year-old has yet to reach the pinnacle of his career, but as early as now, he is already viewed as a valuable future star.

“[Rice] is the best young player in the Premier League by a shooting mile, he is absolutely unbelievable," former Aston Villa striker Alan Bruce McInally recently said of Rice.”

“Talking about going back to Chelsea, I’m going to throw in [Manchester] City, [Manchester] United, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG and Juventus,” he continued. “I’m saying minimum £118 million ($156 million) for Declan Rice for West Ham to even be interested in letting the boy go.”