Frank Lampard ‘changes his mind’ on Declan Rice after Chelsea loss to Liverpool

Frank Lampard has reportedly urged Chelsea to make a move for Declan Rice and has changed his mind about how he intends to use the England international in his side.

The Blues have long been linked with a move for Rice, who has impressed for West Ham over the past few seasons in spite of their struggles in the Premier League.

Initially it was reported that Lampard wanted to convert Rice from his central midfield position into a centre-back to act as cover for the likes of Andreas Christensen and Kurt Zouma.

But according to The Athletic Lampard has changed his mind following his side’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday, and wants Rice to sit just in front of the back four for his team.

It has been a hectic and unique transfer window so far – so make sure you don’t miss a single thing by signing up for the brilliant new Mirror Football newsletter!

You’ll been clued up on Jadon Sancho, Declan Rice and more as clubs buy their way through the summer. All the latest transfer news and big stories will land straight into your inbox. You won’t miss out.

To sign up, put your email at the top of this article or follow the instructions on this link.

Defensive midfield is an area where Chelsea are lacking strength in depth, with the likes of N’Golo Kante typically playing slightly higher up the pitch.

Lampard is said to have been worried by the ease at which Liverpool dominated in the centre of the park, and thinks Rice would be the perfect candidate to come in and break up the play.

They may struggle to land him, however, with West Ham reportedly demanding a minimum of £80m in order to sell their prize asset.

It is a move which would leave Hammers fans furious, especially given that they have already expressed their anger at the ease in which the club let Grady Diangana move to West Bromwich Albion.

With Chelsea having already splashed out on six new signings this summer, and with Rennes goalkeeper Edouard Mendy reportedly soon to be the seventh, it is not clear if they will be able to afford Rice too, nor whether the player himself will want to leave the club he has been at since the age of 14.

* Sign up to the Mirror Football email here for the latest news and transfer gossip.