Chelsea decided against the signing of Declan Rice from West Ham United this summer because they were put off by his valuation, according to The Telegraph (h/t Metro).
The Blues’ hierarchy felt that interested parties were being asked to pay an ‘English premium’ for the 24-year-old and did not believe the midfielder was worth the price tag the Hammers had placed on him.
In the end, Manchester City and Arsenal seemed to be the only serious contenders in the race for Rice and the Gunners ended up signing him for £105 million, a record transfer fee for a British player.
However, despite Chelsea’s unwillingness to splash the cash on the former West Ham captain, they soon broke the bank and completed a £115 million move for Moises Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Therefore, it is surprising that the West London club opted against signing Rice when they spent more money on Caicedo, who is arguably not as experienced and still has much to develop in his game.
Did Chelsea make the right choice?
Rice has fit perfectly into the system that Mikel Arteta has put in place at Arsenal. The England international has been pivotal to the Gunners’ success early on in the season and his substitution at half-time against Tottenham Hotspur was a big blow for them.
On the other hand, Caicedo has struggled alongside most Chelsea players this season as they are still trying to figure out their identity under Mauricio Pochettino.
The Ecuador international showcased immense potential at Brighton; however, he is in the big leagues now and needs consistent displays for the Blues.
Chelsea have spent a lot of money since Todd Boehly arrived at the helm of the club and signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for around £106 million in January. Therefore, their strategy regarding Rice’s transfer does not make sense.
