Former Chelsea assistant manager Jody Morris has disclosed that Declan Rice was willing to return to Stamford Bridge in 2020, but Chelsea decided against pursuing the deal.
Morris, who worked alongside Frank Lampard during his tenure as Chelsea’s permanent manager from 2019 to 2021, shared details about the club’s interest in re-signing Rice, who was released from Chelsea as a 14-year-old. According to Morris, Lampard initially expressed uncertainty about signing Rice, stating, “I don’t know, I haven’t really seen enough of him.”
However, after a closer evaluation, Lampard became interested in Rice. Morris revealed, “About a month later, he was like, ‘I’ve been all over Dec since we’ve been having a closer look.’ I messaged Dec saying, ‘Would you come back?’ And he went, ‘No, no, I’m a Chelsea fan, of course I would.'”
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Despite the initial interest, Chelsea prioritized other signings in the 2020 summer transfer window, and the potential deal for Rice didn’t materialize. Arsenal eventually signed Rice in the summer of 2021 for £105 million.