Chelsea will reportedly have to offload N'Golo Kante in order to free up space in the squad for West Ham United's Declan Rice.

The former Leicester City man has struggled with various injury problems over the past couple of seasons and is now into the final 18 months of his deal with the European champions.

Kante has remained an important player for the Blues when called upon this season - scoring twice and providing two assists in 15 Premier League matches - but his long-term future remains unclear.

Now, the Daily Mail reports that Chelsea will have to part ways with Kante if they want to reunite with Rice, who is expected to command a nine-figure sum to leave West Ham this summer.

Hammers boss David Moyes has insisted that it will take "humongous money" for his side to sanction Rice's exit, with Manchester United also tipped to battle for the 23-year-old's signature.

Rice came through Chelsea's academy before joining West Ham's youth setup in 2013, and the England international is supposedly holding out for a return to his former club.