Manchester United and Chelsea target £150m Declan Rice as he rejects West Ham contract - Paper Round
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Updated 23/04/2022 at 07:10 GMT
Manchester United and Chelsea are both linked with Declan Rice as he rejects a contract offer from West Ham, while Mohamed Salah is no closer to agreeing a contract extension of his own at Liverpool. Elsewhere, Real Madrid are keen on Antonio Rudiger and Todd Boehler is confident of buying Chelsea from Roman Abramovich.
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United and Chelsea target Rice
Manchester United and Chelsea continue to be linked with Declan Rice. The 23-year-old midfielder rejected a £200,000-a-week contract offer from West Ham, and has two years left on his current deal. However the Mirror reports that as his current club can extend his stay for an extra year, they are in no rush to sell.
Paper Round’s view: West Ham reportedly want £150 million for the player and, as good as he is, that represents a huge gamble even for clubs with the budget of United or Chelsea. He has yet to prove himself in the Champions League and there are other, cheaper options abroad who have more experience and perhaps just as much talent.
Salah contract rumbles on
The Telegraph reports that Mohamed Salah is yet to agree a new contract with Liverpool, as the 29-year-old says that the failure to get a new deal is not entirely over money. The paper suggests that as the Egyptian will turn 30 this summer, they are not keen to agree a hefty pay rise for a player close to his peak.
Paper Round's view: While Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain might be prepared to stump up the cash to bring Salah to the club, the way that Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos have failed to sparkle since their own big-money free transfers suggests that Liverpool are correct to be circumspect, but Salah will probably not find as professional a setup elsewhere.
Real want Rudiger
Spanish newspaper Marca reports that Carlo Ancelotti wants to sign Antonio Rudiger from Chelsea. The 29-year-old is soon out of contract and has reduced his wage demands, which allows for the club to make him an offer. Should he arrive, it would allow David Alaba to switch to left-back, with Marcelo due to leave on a free transfer.
Paper Round's view: Rudiger has been at the heart of Chelsea’s recent success since the departure of Frank Lampard, and while this season has not matched the last campaign’s heights, he has remained one of the most able defenders in the Premier League. Bringing him in would give Real an upgrade at the back.
Boehly confident over Chelsea bid
American businessman Todd Boehly and his Swiss counterpart Hansjorg Wyss are confident that their bid will be successful when the takeover of Chelsea from Roman Abramovich is completed, according to the Daily Mail. The bid has received assistance from Conservative figures such as Daniel Finkelstein and George Osborne.
Paper Round’s view: It seems peculiar that potentially influential political figures are being brought in to deal with a football club takeover, and it suggests that the industry is not going to get any less murky in the near future. As for Chelsea, the sooner they are out of the grasp of Abramovich, the better.
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