Mason Mount has taken to social media to deliver his verdict on reports that Chelsea have made a £50million offer for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
The England international has long been linked with a move to the Blues, who released him from their youth system as a 15-year-old.
Chelsea's defensive problems have seen Blues head coach Frank Lampard eyeing reinforcements to his back-line this summer.
And according to widespread reports, Rice is the leading transfer priority in terms of centre-backs, as Lampard believes the Hammers star is versatile enough to play in the back four.
On Tuesday, Sky Sports journalist Angelo Mangiante claimed that Chelsea had submitted their first official bid of £50million for Rice as they continue to try and strengthen ahead of next season.
football.london understands that those claims are wide of the mark, with no bid made for the midfielder yet.
But the Blues' interest has still been met with enthusiasm, especially from Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount.
Mount, who is a close friend of Rice since their days in the Chelsea academy, showed his approval for the plans by 'liking' a post from Sport Bible which reported Chelsea's supposed bid for Rice.
Despite his ability to play in defence, Rice's potential arrival would pose questions over the future some current midfielders at Stamford Bridge.
Jorginho and N'Golo Kante have both been linked with moves to Italy in recent months, although Maurizio Sarri's sacking at Juventus has ended any interest the Old Lady had in Jorginho.
It seems unlikely that £50m will be enough to land Rice, however, with West Ham reportedly valuing the 21-year-old at around £70m.
After his release from Chelsea, Rice was snapped up by West Ham and signed his first professional contract in 2015.
