KEY POINTS
- Tony Cottee believes Declan Rice would join Chelsea over Manchester United
- Joining Chelsea will allow the Blues to have their perceived successor to N'Golo Kante
- In September, Manchester United fans received a boost after it was reported that Chelsea was moving on from Rice
Tony Cottee is expecting world-class midfielder Declan Rice to leave West Ham United and make a move to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea rather than join Manchester United.
Speaking with Betting Expert, Cottee mentioned that anywhere Rice goes would be a major benefit to his career, but he believes Chelsea would be the best team for him to be with.
“I mean, I don’t know whether they would be interested, but you know it’s Chelsea for me. If Declan [Rice] was to decide to leave, I think he’ll go to Chelsea. And the reason for that is he was at Chelsea as a kid. He is best friends with Mason Mount, and he’s grew up with all the young kids at the club,” Cottee said.
Cottee later added that he would regret seeing Rice leave the London Stadium but understands that the pressures of hearing his peers in the English national team talk about having title-contending experience might entice him to search for that opportunity elsewhere.
West Ham United is yet to lift a single trophy since the 1979-80 season when they bested Arsenal for the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium.
Rice going to Chelsea means that they may have just found their successor to midfield stalwart N’Golo Kante who is already turning 31 years old in March 2022.
His playing style is so similar to the Frenchman that he might anchor Chelsea’s midfield-heavy lineup once Kante inevitably starts to decline.
Rice is under contract with West Ham United until the summer of 2024 but could find himself elsewhere if the team is unable to secure a spot in the UEFA Champions League by gaining a top four finish.
As for Manchester United, their pursuit of Rice has been ongoing for some time now as they see him as a stabilizing presence in the midfield thanks to his high-level defensive capabilities.
It was reported in September that Chelsea had already set their sights on AS Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, which was perceived as a boost in favor of Manchester United.
Should Cottee’s prediction of Rice joining Chelsea rather than Manchester United hold true, the English Premier League will surely be frustrated as Chelsea will continue its stranglehold on the top spots.
“I think most of the West Ham fans wouldn’t be grudging towards the guy (Rice) going to Chelsea because we all know that he was there as a kid,” Cottee stated.
