Richard Keys Has Heard Chelsea Want An 'English Spine' With Harry Maguire And Harry Kane Targets

Richard Keys has sensationally claimed Chelsea want to rebuild their squad with an 'English spine' - naming Harry Maguire, Declan Rice and Harry Kane as targets.

The Blues are expected to be taken over by American businessman Todd Boehly in the near future, ending Roman Abramovich's 19 year reign.

It's expected he'll usher in a new era at Stamford Bridge and beIN SPORTS presenter Richard Keys has heard a very interesting story.

He stated on his website: "Here’s one to keep an eye on. What I’m about to say will be met with the usual rebuttals - big how many times have we been proved right in this blog?

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"I keep hearing Chelsea want to go again - and build an English spine through their team. The new owners will want to make a statement and this might just be it."

Keys then floated a few interesting names, including Maguire and Kane as well as Declan Rice.

Maguire is currently Manchester United captain but it's been a season to forget, for himself and the team.

The Red Devils have failed to qualify for the Champions League and Maguire has beared the brunt of abuse from supporters.

Maguire bite back in a recent interview, where he claimed he's still good enough to be a regular starter.

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United would go on to lose 4-0 against Liverpool after that and he hasn't started a game since.

Chelsea are set to lose Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, meaning their defence will need rejuvenating.

Keys theorised: "They need a centre-back. Harry Maguire? What would he cost? £40/50 million? I’m pretty sure he’d jump at the chance of a new start."

Next up is Rice, who continues to impress with West Ham United.

Rice's contract expires in 2024 and he's reportedly turned down three separate contract offers as he looks to win trophies elsewhere.

The 23-year-old was in Chelsea's academy setup as a youngster and Keys believes a return is on the cards.

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"The obvious one in midfield would be Rice," he declared. "Kante has all but run himself to a stand still. Rice would be a perfect replacement. Would West Ham sell? Of course they will if the money is right. I’d give you £150 million for him all day long. If Rice pushes hard it might not take that much."

Last but not least is Kane. Thomas Tuchel added Romelu Lukaku to his squad last summer but the Belgium international has found it hard to adapt to Premier League football.

Lukaku scored twice in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Wolves but those were his first league goals of 2022.

Meanwhile, Kane remains the Premier League's most deadly finisher and his game has hit new heights under Antonio Conte.

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Keys speculated: "Tuchel wants rid of Lukaku - that’s pretty obvious. But to where? Who’s got the most out of him during his career? Correct - the guy at Tottenham.

"So if Conti [sic] can be persuaded to stay - and he fancied working with Lukaku again - what could Spurs do to get him?

"They wouldn’t want to pay anything like Chelsea did for him. So - what about a player exchange? Two players worth £50 million a-piece?

An English spine at Chelsea I said. So Son [Heung-min] or [Dejan] Kulusevski wouldn’t interest them at The Bridge.

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"That leaves one option. Yep. England’s No 9 [Kane]. Let’s see."

He then ended the column with: "A modern transfer is difficult enough - but three of that size in one summer would be incredible. I keep hearing it though - which is why I’ve shared it with you."

It remains to be seen what Chelsea do in the transfer window, but this would rock English football to the core.

Too bad the chances are incredibly low. Almost impossible. Chelsea fans, rejoice or recoil depending on how you rate the Three Lions trio.