Declan Rice 'wanted transfer to Premier League rival' before opting for Arsenal move as private message revealed

Declan Rice wanted a move to a Premier League rival before ultimately securing a transfer to Arsenal.

Arsenal’s title charge was provided a major boost last week as the Gunners claimed a 3-1 victory over Liverpool.

Rice has been central to the Gunners’ fortune this term, having signed for some £105million from West Ham last summer.

The England international, who came through the youth system at Chelsea, received interest from several of the Premier League’s elite before opting for a switch to north London.

But according to former Chelsea assistant manager Jody Morris, Rice’s ideal move would have once been to return to Stamford Bridge.

Speaking to William Hill and Footy Accumulators' No Tippy Tappy Football, Morris said: "I messaged Declan Rice when I was at Chelsea, and I asked him whether he'd come back, even after being released by the club.

"He was a centre-half back then and there were a lot of people who said he shouldn't have been released when he was, but in hindsight, it was probably the best thing for him considering all the amazing things he went on do at West Ham.

"I was always on Frank Lampard's case saying how unbelievable Rice would be for us when N'Golo Kante kept getting injured and he wasn't sure at first, but a month later he was all over him! So, we reached out to Declan on whether he'd want to come back and he said: 'I'm a Chelsea fan, of course I would!'

"And from then on Lampard was speaking to him and the upstairs members at the club were talking to his parents. In the end, it got put on the backburner in favour of a couple of other signings."

Morris continued: "I didn't end up going through, but at the time they were quoting around £60-65 million so that would've been a steal for someone who could have easily been at the club for 10 years.

"For me, Rice is top-drawer and I'm so excited about the England midfield we have at the minute. Rice has shown his worth in an England shirt and for West Ham and now at Arsenal with a better team and he's performing week in week out."