West Ham believe Chelsea will not continue their pursuit of Declan Rice after the sacking of Frank Lampard as head coach on Monday.
Reports had claimed that Lampard viewed the 22-year-old as a long-term solution to the Blues' defensive issues, playing the central role of a back three rather than in his more familiar midfield position.
However, Lampard was unable to get a deal over the line for Rice.
And now Lampard has left Chelsea, The Telegraph report that the Hammers are confident Chelsea will no longer pursue Rice.
According to the report, there is no strong desire from the Chelsea hierarchy to sign Rice due to the asking price of over £80million.
Thomas Tuchel is set to be appointed as the new Chelsea head coach imminently.
And he is said to be a fan of Jorginho, who is one of two players in the Chelsea squad who can play in defensive midfield, with N'Golo Kante being the other.
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Chelsea chiefs believe the presence of Kante and Jorginho mean a move for Rice is not necessary.
This article was most recently revised and updated 4 years ago
