Chelsea have been told that 'someone else' will sign midfield target Declan Rice this summer if the Blues were to pass up on the opportunity amid reported interest from Manchester United and Manchester City.
Rice, 23, is a known long-term target of the Blues but West Ham's recent £120million valuation increase has questioned whether or not it is financially viable and worth it for Chelsea to splash that amount of cash on one player with other positions still a priority.
football.london understands that the Blues will attempt to make another move for England international Rice in the summer but Aurelien Tchouameni is seen as the main alternative and could cost £40m less than West Ham's midfielder.
Despite the Englishman's indirect 'come and get me plea' that he made to Gary Neville in a recent interview, there is still a chance that Marina Granovskaia and co could pass up on the opportunity to bring back a player they let go in his early days.
That would allow both Man City and Man United back into the equation, with Pep Guardiola and Ralf Rangnick monitoring what the European and World Champions do before planning their potential move.
And now, former Blues defender Glen Johnson has sent Chelsea a fresh transfer alert, stating that if they were to not be decisive enough this summer in their potential approach, then 'someone else' could then take advantage and potentially make Thomas Tuchel's side regret a missed opportunity.
He warned in his interview with bettingodds.com: “Yeah, if they don't then someone else will. It’s one of those situations - he’s either going to your rivals or he’s coming to you.
"It looks unlikely that he’ll stay at West Ham but it’ll work out for both because if he stays, then West Ham keep a world-class player, and if he goes they’ll get a fortune for him.
“He’s a class act, on and off the pitch. He’s still a young guy, still learning his trade, but I think the way he handles himself is not fake, it’s authentic. He’s clearly a lovely guy. I think the more characters we have like that knocking around for England, the better.”
The former Chelsea defender then went on to clarify which of the midfield options currently in Tuchel's squad will have to make way to accommodate a potential Rice arrival.
“I’d probably say Jorginho," Johnson admitted. "I think that’s a bit harsh because I’m a big fan of Jorginho but I think if Rice came in with fresh legs and can motor around the park, then Jorginho would probably be the one that’s sacrificed.
"Hopefully Jorginho doesn’t leave because he’s a great player, but he’s probably the one that I think would drop out of the XI if it was to happen.”
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Chelsea's regista has been linked with a potential return to Serie A to join Juventus in the summer.
However, if one of Mateo Kovacic, N'Golo Kante or the Italian Euro 2020 winner do not want to leave in the summer, the prospect of Rice moving elsewhere - as Johnson alluded to - remains a distinct possibility, despite West Ham's steep asking price and tough stance.
