Declan Rice has been strongly linked with a move to Chelsea for the last several transfer windows, and he will continue to be until he eventually moves on from West Ham United. football.london understands that West Ham slapped a price tag of £150 million on Rice during the summer, with the midfielder's contract up in 2024, although the Hammers do have the option of an extra year.
However, it's also understood that Rice was firmly on Todd Boehly's transfer agenda during the summer, and a move could be made at some point in the future. Given that Chelsea didn't recruit any midfielders permanently during the summer - Denis Zakaria arrived on loan - it's likely to be a position they look to upgrade in upcoming transfer windows.
READ MORE: Timo Werner makes blunt three-word Chelsea admission following failed £45m transfer
However, Paul Merson believes Chelsea don't necessarily need Rice, saying that the England international doesn't have the same skillset as Jorginho. If Rice was signed by Chelsea, it's likely he'd play alongside Jorginho, with a busy midfielder partnering a more technical player in the Italy international - and therefore they'd complement each other well.
Jorginho has faced criticism during his time at Chelsea, but Merson believes he is misunderstood and is the type of player the Premier League hasn't seen in a long time, saying that he's better than Rice.
"When Jorginho first joined to play at the base of Chelsea’s midfield, he got a lot of stick," Merson said in his Sportskeeda column.
"That said, over the years, he’s played regularly under every manager at Stamford Bridge, which simply doesn’t happen if you aren’t a good player. He’s different to English midfielders in the sense that he’s not about his work rate, hustle or moving at 100 miles per hour.
"He makes the team tick by keeping it tidy in the centre of the park and is also capable of picking a defence-splitting pass. Kalvin Phillips joined Man City for around £42m, while Declan Rice is valued at over £100m. They’re both good players, but they don’t play like Jorginho, do they?
"We haven’t had a player like Jorginho for god knows how long now. Jorginho has got flaws, but he’s very assured on the ball and controls the game from a deeper midfield position. For me, he’s very underrated as people don’t understand what he brings to the table in the Premier League."
READ NEXT:
Marina Granovskaia sacrifices leave Todd Boehly facing defining £105m Chelsea transfer decision
Mason Mount World Cup chances rated as Graham Potter Chelsea verdict delivered
Free transfers Todd Boehly can make to improve Chelsea's midfield amid Kante and Jorginho issues
'Bad for football' - Why Thiago Silva could turn to management with Chelsea after record break
Chelsea news and transfers LIVE: All the latest news, rumours and gossip from Stamford Bridge
