Reports: Chelsea set to offload Jorginho to fund Declan Rice transfer 

Chelsea are supposedly open to the sale of star midfielder Jorginho this transfer window as Frank Lampard aims to raise funds after signing a couple of big players.

If reports from the Express are to be believed, Lampard is ready to listen to offers regarding Jorginho. The Italian's transfer could, in turn, free up space and cash for the possible signing of West Ham's Declan Rice.

Chelsea have already secured the services of Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech, while an £80 million transfer of Kai Havertz is also on the cards.

The above source claims that in order to buy defensive reinforcements, Chelsea will have to cash in through outgoing players.

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Declan Rice to slot in at centre-back for Chelsea

Chelsea graduate Rice was arguably West Ham's best player of the Premier League season

The Blues conceded more goals than any other side that finished in the top half of the Premier League table, with Lampard struggling to identify his best centre-back pairing in spite of having depth in that section.

None among Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger or Fikayo Tomori managed to impress the Chelsea boss on a consistent level, as a result of which they are now in hunt of a central defender in the market.

Various reports have emerged stating Chelsea could sell one out of the first three mentioned names. Rudiger, in fact, has been one of the biggest letdowns this season. His contract expires in two years, and Chelsea have shown no desire to extend the deal as of now.

The leadership, the toughness, the IQ, the blue blood, the current talent & potential...It’s needed at Chelsea. pic.twitter.com/loF3g6qeSs

— Alex Goldberg (@AlexGoldberg_) August 3, 2020

Jorginho is another makeweight option for Chelsea if they want the £65 million-rated Rice.

The Italy international, who was close to undroppable at one point of time, did not make a single appearance for Chelsea since the restart until coming on as a substitute against Crystal Palace. He even fell behind young Billy Gilmour in the pecking order.

Jorginho was sparigly used by Chelsea boss Lampard post restart

Lampard, however, hailed his professionalism and mentality, saying:

"He has been very professional about it. He wants to play as every player does. It is one of the hardest parts of the job is telling a player who is not playing, or picking a squad and leaving out players. Particularly when they are not training well and Jorginho always trains well. But he has handled it professionally and that’s what I would expect."

Rice could be a stellar addition for Chelsea, as there is far more to his game than just being an excellent midfielder.

✅ Most tackles (4th in @premierleague)✅ Most interceptions (3rd in @premierleague)✅ Most passes made✅ Most minutes played (one of only seven @premierleague outfield players to play every minute)@_DeclanRice our midfield engine and Hammer of the Year ⚒❤️ pic.twitter.com/A9Yivhhxof

— West Ham United (@WestHam) July 30, 2020

The former Chelsea man is a leader on the pitch who owns a fantastic footballing brain. The Blues could also use his versatility to play him at the heart of defence, since they already have a host of midfielders in their ranks.

Although the price tag may seem hefty, signing Rice would be a great long-term fix for Chelsea.

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