Liverpool join Chelsea and Man Utd in race to sign Declan Rice

Liverpool have reportedly joined Chelsea and Manchester United in the race to sign sought-after West Ham United star Declan Rice.

According to 90min, Liverpool will try to exploit Declan Rice’s desire to secure a high-profile move come the summer of 2022 and take him away from West Ham.

The highly-rated midfielder carries a reputation as one of the finest up-and-coming talents in the Premier League, having already amassed north of 100 top-flight appearances at 22.

Rice’s eye-catching displays week in, week out have earned him a household status at the London Stadium. Despite his young age, the England international is already the club’s vice-captain and an indispensable starter at the national team.

Although Chelsea and Manchester United tried to lure him away from West Ham, the Hammers managed to fend off the Premier League rivals by slapping a £100m price tag on their prized asset’s shoulders.

However, there is a genuine feeling that the Londoners won’t be able to keep hold of their standout performer next summer, with interest from English top clubs growing each day.

Chelsea were desperate to bring their youth academy product back to Stamford Bridge in the summer but ran out of funds after forking out £97.5m to land Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils are long-term admirers of Rice as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees the youngster as an immediate upgrade on Nemanja Matic and Fred.

But there is now a third party involved in the race, with Liverpool reportedly setting their sights on the versatile deep-lying midfielder.

Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara have failed to live up to expectations at Anfield, forcing Jurgen Klopp to rely on captain Jordan Henderson and Fabinho for most of last season.

A shortage of reliable midfield options nearly came back to haunt the Reds. Yet, an imperious form towards the end of the last Premier League campaign saw Liverpool secure Champions League football at the 11th hour.

Klopp is now keen to bolster his squad and could break the bank to sign Rice, who was nothing short of exceptional at Euro 2020.