Skip to main content

West Ham are rumoured to be lining up a bid for Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater, with the former Leicester man frustrated at his lack of first-team opportunities with the Blues.

According to the Telegraph, the 28-year old will make a decision on his Chelsea future at the end of the season despite only making the move to west London in the summer.

5ad33973a91e6b9b2f000001.jpg

Drinkwater has only managed five starts in the Premier League for Chelsea in his debut campaign for the reigning champions following his £35m move from Leicester City, which has led to a number of clubs monitoring the midfielder’s situation.

West Ham are believed to be one of those clubs, with the east Londoners keen to bolster their midfield ranks, deeming Drinkwater as a perfect fit for the club.

The fact that Drinkwater would not need to relocate should he decide to move to West Ham could work in the Hammers’ favour, but there are set to be a number of stumbling blocks along the way, one being Chelsea’s valuation of the England international.

With Drinkwater only being in the first year of his five-year contract, the Blues will likely demand the entirety, or at least the majority, of the £35m fee they forked out to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Additionally, it is widely rumoured that Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is set to leave the club come the end of the season, after a limp defence of their Premier League crown this campaign and Champions League football looking increasingly unlikely. Drinkwater will likely wait and see who is in charge next season before making a decision on his future.

In spite of Drinkwater and N’Golo Kante’s formidable midfield partnership in their title-winning season at Leicester City, the pair have managed only six starts together in all competitions this season, something of confusion for Chelsea fans considering the 28-year old was largely brought in due to the chemistry of the pair.

Elsewhere, it would seem that Monaco are interested in signing Chelsea flop Tiemoue Bakayoko, just a year after selling him to the Blues. The 23-year old has had a disappointing debut campaign in the Premier League, but it would seem that Chelsea are more likely to part ways with Drinkwater.