In an interesting turn of events, West Ham United manager David Moyes has expressed his desire for the club’s captain, Declan Rice, to join Chelsea this summer as part of a potential move to sign midfielder Conor Gallagher.
Moyes seems to have accepted the fact that Rice may choose Arsenal as his preferred destination over other Premier League clubs.
After leading West Ham to victory in the Europa Conference League final in Prague last week, Rice’s future with the club is uncertain.
The talented England international has been the subject of transfer speculation, with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich all reportedly interested in securing his signature.
Arsenal, in particular, have identified Rice as their primary target for this summer and are believed to be nearing a £100 million agreement to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.
Manchester United have also expressed long-standing interest in the midfielder, while Bayern Munich consider him a potential summer transfer target. Chelsea have also been touted as a possible destination.
However, sources indicate that Moyes, in an unexpected twist, favors doing business with Chelsea and proposes a potential part-exchange deal involving Gallagher.
Gallagher, who is part of a group of players that could be offloaded by Chelsea this summer as they seek to trim their squad after a disappointing 12th-place finish in the Premier League last season, could find himself in East London as part of the deal.