Transfer News: Boehly’s Chelsea snubbed chance to sign Arsenal midfielder
Chelsea, with Todd Boehly as co-owner, reportedly declined the opportunity to acquire Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice during the January transfer window. Instead, Rice completed his move to Arsenal from West Ham United for a staggering £100 million, with an additional £5 million in add-ons, making him the most expensive British player ever and also the record signing for Arsenal.
Interestingly, the possibility of Rice joining Chelsea arose when the club’s then-manager, Graham Potter, advocated for his signing from West Ham. However, Chelsea ultimately chose to pursue Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for an even higher British record fee exceeding £105 million.
It’s noteworthy that Rice, who is now 24 years old, had previously been a part of Chelsea’s youth system but was released by the club when he was just 14.