Having been released from Chelsea aged 14, Declan Rice remains Lampard’s number one target this January.

Ever since the summer window back in July, it has been well-documented that Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has been wanting to bring former academy talent Declan Rice back to Stamford Bridge. 

Best friends with midfielder Mason Mount after spending years together at Cobham, the Blues aimed to make the West Ham United star their last big-money signing in the previous window.

But the move ultimately failed to come to fruition as the west-London giants struggled to shift the fringe players needed to raise the required funds for his signature.

Plus, after spending over £200m on the likes of Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech and Edouard Mendy not even multi-billionaire owner Roman Abramovich could afford his services. 

Nonetheless, the New Year means new beginnings and the month of January will present Lampard another opportunity to renew their interest in the 21-year old. 

But why is Lampard such a keen admirer? 

Tactical analysis

A key factor as to why Rice remains so high on Chelsea’s wishlist is due to his versatility; amalgamated as a result of being employed as a centre-half in his youth to shifting forwards in front of the back four at senior level.

Initially flagged as a centre back target before the free signing of 36-year old Thiago Silva, the desire now is for him to operate at the base of midfield- a position that has seen Rice clock up the most minutes in the Premier League in 2020 (2,790) and ranks him amongst one of the most experienced players from his age group across Europe. 

This conversion has seen him excel at delaying and breaking up attacks during transition phases allowing his teammates to recover back into their positions and, therefore, proving particularly valuable to a high-pressing, possession-based team who are risk of being exposed when offensive plays come to a halt.

On top of slowing down and guiding opponents towards the touchline, Rice is just as efficient at providing cover when his teammates, particularly full-backs, break on the attack or look to engage the opponent in a press. 

His experience in central defence provides him with great spatial awareness in deeper positions, knowing where to be and when, and will be a key quality when the likes Chilwell and Reece James push forward. 

Rice’s physical presence in midfield is another craved characteristic, with his strength in 50/50 situations, combativeness in the air and alertness to loose balls all contributing to his defensive game. 

His aforementioned aerial ability is an effective asset in attacking areas, such as corners and free-kicks. The power, timing and willingness to attack the ball have rewarded him with several goals since his first-team debut in 2016.

So it is no surprise that he has become one of the Hammers leading targets from dead-balls situations; given little reason why he cannot continue said trend if he was to switch to the Blue side of London and follow in the footsteps of club legend, and friend following serval meet-ups uploaded on Instagram in the summer, John Terry. 

He is also tipped as a long term captain option when current skipper Cesar Azpilicueta parts-ways having deputised Mark Noble numerous times over the past two seasons.

Where will Rice fit? 

With N’golo Kante no longer considered capable of playing as a holding midfielder due to his desire to run towards the opponent and intercept, Lampard wants someone to sit and protect; allowing Kante to move freely and cause disruption further up the pitch.

Lampard’s switch to 4-3-3 from a 4-2-3-1 at the back end of October only intensified the debate surrounding the identity of Chelsea’s holding midfielder. His predecessor Maurizio Sarri experienced a similar dilemma as he was also unsure on Kante’s ability to play there which caused him to pack Napoli comrade Jorginho in his suitcase as he embarked from Serie A to the Premier League. 

Rotating between the two, Lampard has had little luck with either Jorginho or Kante at the base; leaving an opening for a new recruit.

Rice fits the vacancy perfectly with his work in East London demonstrating fine positioning when shielding West Ham’s defence. He has done so as both a lone pivot or in a two but appears more at home as the sole defensive midfielder with two central midfielders in front of him. 

Often operating in a 5-4-1, 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation, Rice has been combining well with summer signing Tomas Soucek – earning the accolade as one of the best midfield pairings in the league.

In terms of in which formation he’d be deployed in at Chelsea, it is important to consider that he has little experience playing in Lampard’s current 4-3-3 system. 

However, Chelsea try (with the operative word being try) to have one of their more forward-thinking midfielders drop close to Kante, such as Mount or Mateo Kovacic, to help provide support.

In Chelsea blue, you could imagine the French World Cup winner and Rice being used in the same way; alternating from a three-man midfield in offence but dropping into a 4-2-3-1 formation which would give licence to either Mount or Havertz to be used as a No 10.

Areas to improve.

Despite all the praise, Rice still isn’t the first article – though not many 21-year-olds are.

If he was to sign for Chelsea, his first goal should be more composed when controlling bouncing balls, especially when he is required to change direction or playoff his first touch. 

This also applies to when he finds himself in advanced positions against opponents in a low block, which is more likely when playing for Chelsea against inferior, and defending the penalty area as his tenancy to panic could lead to a goal-scoring opportunity.

Will the transfer happen?

Just like the summer, Chelsea’s first task will be to find the funds to match West Ham’s valuation for their star man. Their priority remains in moving on those who find themselves surplus to requirements, such as Marcos Alonso, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Danny Drinkwater before they launch any sort of bid. 

But unlike the summer, there have been some developments to this transfer tale. Rice has recently changed agents and is now represented by his father, Given Sean, who is a lifelong season ticket holder at the Bridge.

Exciting news for supporters, as this may hand Chelsea an advantage when it comes to any new negotiations. 

Some Blues fans were even fooled on Twitter Thursday night, after an image that appeared to show Rice pictured in full Chelsea attire was liked by Mount.  The shoot was soon proved fake to many fans disappointment.

Fake. Somewhat unfortunately… #Rice pic.twitter.com/JGigQD7zy4

— Dan McCarthy (@MaccaSport) January 7, 2021

As we all know, January is infamous for being a tedious month to get the kind of move over the line and has only been made harder this season due to the impact of COVID-19 has had football teams’ finances.

So, any significant move for Rice is more likely to come in the summer rather than in January. Though sources around the transfer, including an agent closely connected to Chelsea, has revealed that the deal has become a matter of when he will become a Blue, not if. 

One thing that is for certain: Rice will only get better.

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