Chelsea have been denied a participant able to main the membership for a decade, like John Terry, as a result of they did not take heed to their former supervisor Frank Lampard. In his first spell as boss, Lampard had been desirous to raid West Ham for Declan Rice however didn't get his want and the midfielder will as a substitute be an Arsenal participant this season.

Rice is because of be unveiled as an Arsenal participant imminently for £105million. The transfer will make him the most costly British participant of all time and is up from his £80m price ticket three years in the past. And all of it might have been totally different.

The England worldwide was a goal for Lampard a number of years in the past. Unfortunately for Chelsea they by no means introduced of their former academy prospect. On The Diary Of A CEO podcast, Lampard reminded the world of that truth. He mentioned: "Maybe in terms of recruitment you wanted to bring in some players as the future. When I was at Chelsea before I wanted to bring in Declan Rice. I was like 'This kid's going to be the captain of Chelsea for the next 10 years.' Didn't happen."

Chelsea, funnily sufficient, are and not using a captain for the time being having mentioned goodbye to skipper Cesar Azpilicueta. They are additionally within the means of rebuilding their midfield and the way good Rice, now 24, could be to play alongside Enzo Fernandez beneath Mauricio Pochettino and to put on the armband - no less than, had he joined a few years in the past.

If as Lampard envisioned, the participant got here in and finally took the armband he might've grow to be one of many longest-serving captains within the membership's historical past a la Ron Harris, Dennis Wise and naturally, Terry, who is maybe essentially the most well-known within the Londoners' historical past. The England centre-back served with distinguish for 13 years, lifting 16 trophies.

It is an authoritative presence like his that has been missing on the Bridge in some latest seasons and it's straightforward to see how Rice might have been an analogous chief of males. Given his connections to the membership from his youth, and the actual fact he would've been becoming a member of Mason Mount who's now at Manchester United, Rice might effectively have spent the remainder of his profession at Chelsea and as a top-level captain.

The Blues could also be regretting that they didn't belief Lampard's judgement over Rice, though of their defence there was hypothesis he at first had a imaginative and prescient to play him at centre-half. Still, beneath future managers - Thomas Tuchel and now Pochettino - he would absolutely have been moved into midfield the place he is likely one of the Premier League's most interesting; able to taking part in as a high-level No 6 or No 8.

He might have been the workforce's commander and controller on the pitch and within the dressing room. Instead it's Arsenal who will benefit from the No 41's many qualities each on and off the pitch, regardless of Chelsea having saved a watchful eye on their former youth participant for a few years.

Chelsea can in fact nonetheless make up for lacking out on Rice by constructing their very own top-level midfield. Signing Moises Caicedo from Brighton and pairing him with Fernandez would nonetheless give Pochettino a probably world-class partnership, whereas youngsters Andrey Santos and Carney Chukwuemeka have large futures forward too.

What's for sure although is that their midfield won't ever include Rice, who has an extended spell with Arsenal forward of him. Lampard clearly rues the error from the membership's resolution to not signal his compatriot. And he'll little question be preserving a eager eye on whether or not Chelsea get Caicedo and who they appoint as their subsequent skipper. Even then, so good is Rice, Lampard may nonetheless assume the brand new Arsenal man ought to be main the Blues out of the tunnel as he himself did every now and then.