Declan Rice makes key West Ham transfer admission amid ongoing Chelsea links

With the search for players to fill a new look backline and the future of Chelsea's attack also being less than clear, it has been easy to disregard the midfield heading into the new season.

It has been an area of concern for Thomas Tuchel since last summer as the club battled against N'Golo Kante's injury troubles and unsuccessful transfers. Saul Niguez was the temporary answer but never looked like settling down as a long term option Stamford Bridge.

With Jorginho and Kante's contracts both up next summer and interest in the pair still high, there could still be up to two departures in that area of pitch before the end of the transfer window. In it's current state, Chelsea have a good range of options with Mateo Kovacic and Conor Gallagher also in the mix, plus the option of using Mason Mount as a deeper midfielder in a 4-3-3.

If one of, let alone both, Jorginho and Kante were to leave this summer though it would leave a massive hole in the team. Chelsea already lack a specialist defensive midfielder, something that has set them back in the timeline of using a four man defence, and the Italian and French duo are the only two currently most suited to this role.

Although Ethan Ampadu and Trevoh Chalobah are capable of filling in, they would both be better suited to centre back roles and have little to no league experience in midfield. The obvious target in recent years has been West Ham's Declan Rice.

The 23-year-old has been one of the league's best midfielders for two campaigns and has now cemented his position as Gareth Southgate's go-to in a midfield pivot or as a sole defensive midfielder. He already has 165 Premier League appearances to his name since making his debut in 2017.

His rise has seen Chelsea already