Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel says the Blues would probably not have been able to afford West Ham midfielder Declan Rice even if they weren’t in a middle of a change of ownership.

It has been widely reported that the Hammers would demand at least £150m for their talisman, but Tuchel says those sorts of figures would have put off his team from buying the player:

“Maybe they [players as expensive as Rice] are even out of our league if we don’t have our crisis when you hear the numbers that are floating around. But as you know, we don’t speak about other players when it comes to whether we are interested or not interested because we take care of the guys that we have here. Our situation gives me a slight advantage that we can’t even think about buying or selling. So there is no need to think about it.”

Rice’s future has once again been in the news in recent days, with it emerging that the 23-year-old has rejected another new contract from West Ham.

With the England international’s current deal expiring in 2024, and the Irons having the option to extend it further until 2025, the club are not overly concerned about the situation, but it does suggest the midfielder is keen on leaving the London Stadium.

In addition to Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United have also been linked with Rice, but it’s hoped that the player’s price tag will scare off any bidders this summer.