TalkSport pundit Darren Bent says Declan Rice would represent an upgrade on current Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante.
Rice has earned some rave reviews with the Hammers and at 21, has plenty of years ahead of him.
Bent, the former Ipswich Town, Sunderland and Aston Villa striker, has claimed Rice would be a better option in midfield than 2018 World Cup winning midfielder Kante.
Speaking on TalkSport, Bent said: "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 in 2018.
"But I just think over the past season and a half, he's not played that role we know he is so good at, for whatever reason.
"Maybe [Maurizio] Sarri (former Chelsea boss) was onto something because he said he wasn't quick enough in possession so he didn't 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."
Rice has made more than 100 appearances for West Ham having come through the ranks in east London.
He is also an England international and played the full 90 minutes as Gareth Southgate's side beat Belgium 2-1 in the Nations League over the weekend.
Bent says the player's versatility is also a reason why he presents a better option than Kane for Chelsea.
"For me, I think Declan Rice would be an upgrade," said Bent. "Not only because he can play that role really, really well, he can get about the pitch, has got good energy and can read the game but he can also drop into centre half, so that's two positions he can play in.
"For someone like Kante, he has been superb but we've not see him play in the role over the past season and a half so if they sell Kante and bring in Rice I am all for that."
