West Ham United respond to Chelsea bid for Declan Rice

West Ham United have rejected an audacious swap deal proposed by Chelsea to sign Declan Rice.

The Blues are eager to secure the signature of Rice this summer as they look to improve their options at the heart of the defence.

According to The Times, the west London giants recently offered Michy Batshuayi and Ross Barkley in a part-exchange deal to sign the 21-year-old.

However, the proposal was swiftly rejected by the Hammers, who are reluctant to sell their player for anything less than £80m.

It is highly unlikely that the Blues will be able to afford the package, unless they are able to recoup sufficient funds from the sale of outcasts.

So far, they have been unable to do so and that has halted their transfer business after the early signing of Timo Werner from RB Leipzig.

Aside from Werner, Hakim Ziyech will be another new arrival for the Blues. The attacker was signed from Ajax shortly after the winter transfer window.