Declan Rice would be an upgrade on N'Golo Kante for Chelsea, claims former Tottenham and England striker Darren Bent.
Rice, 21, is one of the most impressive young players in the Premier League and has made the breakthrough into Gareth Southgate's England team.
Kante, a two-time Premier League winner and a World Cup winner with France, has battled form and fitness in recent seasons and Bent feels acquiring Rice would be an 'upgrade' for Blues boss Frank Lampard.
'For me, Declan Rice would be an upgrade,' Bent said on talkSPORT. 'Not only because he can play that role really, really well, he can get about the pitch, has got good energy, reads the game really well.
'Not only that as well, he can drop into centre half, that's two positions he can play.
'N'Golo Kante has been a superb footballer and still is a great footballer. He won the Premier League with Leicester, went to Chelsea and won the Premier League and won the World Cup back in 2018 and I just think for a season and a half now he's not played in that role we know he is so good at.
'Maybe (Maurizio) Sarri was on to something because he felt he wasn't quick enough in possession to play him there.
'Sarri got absolutely killed for not playing him there but Frank (Lampard) has come in and done the same thing and no-one has really said anything.'
More to follow.
