Chelsea have not given up hope of signing West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, according to reports.
The Blues were heavily active in the summer transfer market, splashing out more than £200m on the likes of Kai Havertz, Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell and Edouard Mendy.
Rice was also linked with a move to Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea did not make an official offer for his services.
However, that does not mean Frank Lampard’s side have dropped their interest in the England international.
Rice has enjoyed a fine start to the season and excelled in West Ham’s 2-1 victory over Leeds on Friday night.
That result leaves David Moyes’ men just two points behind Chelsea in the Premier League table after the Blues lost 1-0 to Everton on Saturday.
According to Goal, Chelsea are still interested in Rice and could make a move for him in one of next year’s transfer windows.
However, the Blues would likely have to pay a hefty fee to secure the signature of West Ham’s most prized asset.
Rice is an integral part of the Hammers’ team and is under contract at the London Stadium until 2024.
The chances of Chelsea prising Rice away from their rivals in January are slim, so the west Londoners will probably wait until next summer before making a move.
The Blues will also need to offload some fringe members of their squad to raise funds for future additions.
Kepa Arrizabalaga is among the players Chelsea are looking to shift, while they are also open to offers for Marcos Alonso and Emerson Palmieri.
Fikayo Tomori and Antonio Rudiger have also been linked with January transfers, and Chelsea will probably sell at least one centre-back when the window opens.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich will not pursue Callum Hudson-Odoi next month, although the winger remains a long-term target.
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