West Ham captain Declan Rice is unlikely to stay at the London Stadium for much longer, according to journalist Jacques Talbot.

The freelance reporter believes that the England international’s decision to reject a lucrative new contract indicates that the midfielder is keen to leave the Hammers, with Chelsea his most likely destination:

“I know Chelsea are after Declan Rice, and I think Declan Rice will leave. Between me and you, I think it might have been during the season, West Ham offered him a killer contract to Declan Rice to make him their most expensive player; he’s turned it down. I don’t know how long he’s got left, but let’s see how it goes with Declan Rice, I think he’s going to leave, though, because you look at West Ham this season.”

Talbot isn’t exactly saying anything new here, but there have been some doubts over whether Chelsea are still interested in Rice, following the appointment of Graham Potter.

It was said that the departures of both director Marina Granovskaia and Thomas Tuchel may have ended the Blues’ attempts to snap up the 23-year-old, but Talbot seems to think the London club are staying in the race for his signature.

Whatever the case may be, West Ham won’t be letting Rice leave without a fight. With his current deal set to run until 2025, they can hold out for a sizeable fee if a formal offer is made for the player in a future transfer window.