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West Ham have no interest in a swap deal involving influential midfielder Declan Rice despite the recent rumours of a player-plus-cash offer from Arsenal, according to a new update.

Is Rice leaving West Ham this summer?

The 24-year-old's future is a big talking point currently, with a new challenge looking likely to come his way at the end of the season. There is an increasing feeling that he has come as far as he can at the London Stadium, with a move to a Champions League-playing club potentially on the cards, or certainly one of the biggest teams in the country.

Rice has slowly become one of the most important players at West Ham over the years, developing into a dominant midfielder player with strong all-round attributes. Not only that, but he is also one of the first names on the team sheet for England manager Gareth Southgate, starting all five matches for the Three Lions at the 2022 World Cup.

There is still no confirmation that the Englishman will definitely leave West Ham, but with every fresh report that emerges, the more likely it feels. That being said, a new claim may at least give Hammers supporters an element of hope that he won't be allowed to go easily.

Cash only for Rice?

According to Football Insider, West Ham are "not interested in taking any player in part exchange" with Rice, with a summer swap deal off the table. It is stated that Arsenal "lead the chase" for the midfielder and there have been rumours that "Arsenal could include a first-team or emerging star", but he will only depart in a routine cash transfer.

In truth, it feels like a given that Rice will leave at the end of the campaign, especially as his current deal expires in 2024, meaning West Ham would lose him for free next year, rather than earn a huge sum of money this time around.

In an ideal world, he would remain in east London for the rest of his career – he has been hailed as "outstanding" by Joe Cole – but he has lofty ambitions and will want to test himself in the Champions League and win trophies in the coming years. It is hard to begrudge him a move, given his ceiling as a player and the loyalty to he has shown West Ham until this point, and it is now vital that the club use the funds they receive for him wisely.

Chelsea players Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and Enzo Fernandez were all spotted arguing during their defeat to Arsenal by journalist Nizaar Kinsella.

What's the latest news after Chelsea's defeat to Arsenal?

It was a torrid night at the Emirates Stadium for the Blues, as they fell to yet another Premier League defeat. Interim boss Frank Lampard would have been hoping to get back to winning ways with an emphatic victory here, but it wasn't to be for the manager.

Instead, it was Martin Odegaard who gave hosts Arsenal the lead within the first 20 minutes of the game. He added his second of the night less than 15 minutes later and Chelsea were already staring a large deficit in the face. When Gabriel Jesus made it three before half-time, it looked an impossible task for the Blues.

The Stamford Bridge side did manage to add a consolation goal through Noni Madueke in the 65th minute but it proved to be futile, with the Gunners ultimately coming away with all three points.

Chelsea have now dropped down the table like a stone and after another defeat to the Mikel Arteta's side, they are now sitting in 12th place.

Even more worrying for Chelsea supporters is that relegation is not entirely out of the question yet. With five games left (and four for 18th-placed Nottingham Forest), the side are only nine points adrift from the drop zone. Having not won in the league now on seven consecutive outings, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that they could be dragged further towards the bottom.

To make matters worse, it seemed there was disharmony among some of the players during the defeat. Journalist Nizaar Kinsella spotted defender Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell and new signing Enzo Fernandez all fuming with each other after falling behind in the fixture:

"Chilwell, Thiago Silva and Enzo are arguing with each other."

It doesn't spell good news for Lampard, who will be desperate to try and drag his side back into the top half of the table before the end of the campaign.

Can Chelsea halt their Premier League slide?

The Blues have had one of their worst top tier campaigns this year and they're on course to finish in their lowest position since the 1993/94 season. If they drop below 12th, it would topple even that.

Graham Potter didn't work out despite his heroics at Brighton and Frank Lampard is also struggling to arrest the slide. Considering the calibre of player that Chelsea have on their books, it's surprising to see such a dramatic turn in their fortunes. However, these stars are struggling to gel, as shown by the form of Enzo Fernandez, one of the players spotted arguing.

For Benfica, he managed a rating of 7.24 before joining up with the Blues (via WhoScored). This made him one of the most exciting talents in Europe. Now though, that has tailed off to a score of 6.83, with his assist and goals tally both in decline too.

Chelsea shouldn't worry about the drop, as they've shown the capability to beat teams around them in the division previously. They've beaten relegation-threatened Leicester and Leeds most recently and have upcoming games against similar outfits like Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. If they can consolidate this season and appoint the right boss, they should be able to kick on next season.

Liverpool will host Nottingham Forest in their Premier League clash at Anfield this weekend and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping that his side can take some confidence from their 5-1 victory over Leeds United earlier this week into the game on Saturday afternoon.

The Reds have been massively inconsistent over their entire campaign, which has cost them the opportunity to add trophies to their large collection and could also cost them their place in the Champions League next season, with the side trailing nine points behind Newcastle United in fourth.

As a result, there is absolutely no room for error over the remaining eight fixtures for Klopp and his squad if they want to do everything they can to earn that outside chance of qualifying for the prestigious European competition, starting at Anfield this weekend.

Indeed, Steve Cooper's newly-promoted side are in freefall as of late and are without a win since the beginning of February when they beat Leeds 1-0, however, it has been the story of Liverpool's season that they have not turned up against relegation-threatened sides on many occasions.

The Merseysiders are in no position to rest on their laurels against the Trentside giants this weekend as they have found themselves dropping points in their visit to The City Ground earlier this season alongside their meetings with Bournemouth, Leeds and Wolverhampton Wanderers to name a few.

As a result, Klopp will need to select a starting eleven who can offer not only quality but confidence going into the game tomorrow and, for that reason, it might be worth dropping Fabinho.

Will Fabinho start vs Nottingham Forest?

There is no doubt that the Brazilian midfielder is one of the most experienced players and has been one of the trusted players in the squad despite his questionable form this season, however, his terrible yellow card record in recent weeks has left him walking on a tightrope going into the Forest game.

Fabinho is on the brink of a two-game suspension which could be triggered as soon as Saturday afternoon if he was to pick up another booking against the Garibaldi Reds.

The £180k-per-week ace – who was branded a "liability every time he's in the side" by radio journalist Daniel Bach back in January – has collected nine yellow cards in total and a whopping seven in the last nine outings, with his clear lack of discipline on the pitch becoming a frustrating sight for supporters.

Klopp does find his hands tied in some respects as there is a lack of depth in midfield with Stefan Bajcetic and Naby Keita both unavailable, however, with Thiago Alcantara returning from injury recently and Jordan Henderson available for selection, it could be an opportunity for the manager to make a subtle tweak in the middle third.

Not only that, Fabinho could be more likely to avoid attempts to win possession or be reluctant to make interceptions to avoid a spell on the side-line in upcoming fixtures, so it could be more beneficial to leave him out for this encounter and instead rely on the club captain to take on the defensive role that'll almost certainly demand important tackles on threatening opponents.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see whether the Liverpool boss will run the risk of losing Fabinho by starting him on Saturday or will rely on other members of the squad to save the Brazilian for more challenging fixtures away from home.

Chelsea are set for fresh talks with Julian Nagelsmann about coming in as manager at the end of the season, according to Blues journalist Simon Phillips.

What's the latest Chelsea manager news?

Upon his return to Stamford Bridge, it was claimed that Frank Lampard wanted to become permanent manager once again, however he has not gotten off to the best of starts, with Chelsea losing their last three games.

As such, the Blues continue to run the rule over new managers to take charge at the end of the season, with the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Ruben Amorim, and more recently Vincent Kompany being linked the job, as reported by the Times. The same report details the Blues have held initial talks with Nagelsmann, who has recently been sacked by Bayern Munich, and the club were seemingly impressed, as they are set for further discussions.

According to established Chelsea journalist Phillips, via Give Me Sport, the 35-year-old is expected to be in London this week for another round of talks, following on from initial discussions which took place in Germany last week.

The German is not the only contender for the job, however, as Luis Enrique is also likely to be invited back for further face-to-face talks, while other candidates are said to be in the frame. Phillips claims the final decision is not expected to come until the summer, however he would not be surprised if a new manager comes in before the end of the season, possibly even in the next two weeks.

Should Chelsea appoint Julian Nagelsmann?

The former Bayern boss did a decent job at the Allianz Stadium, winning three trophies and guiding them safely through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League this season, so from the outside it was an unusual decision that he was sacked.

There is likely to be competition for the young manager, as Tottenham Hotspur are also interested, however if Chelsea do win the race he could be a very exciting appointment, particularly because of his style of play.

Journalist Raj Chohan has hailed the tactician as being an "unreal attacking coach", which indicates he may be able to get more goals out of the squad next season, having scored just 30 in 31 Premier League games during the current campaign.

Nagelsmann would be an excellent appointment for Chelsea, and it is fantastic news he could come in before the end of the season, to give him an opportunity to assess his current squad.

Tottenham Hotspur are expected to reach out to Luis Enrique over the possibility of holding talks with him about their managerial vacancy.

Who will become the next Spurs manager?

It is now a few weeks on from the mutual parting of ways between the Lilywhites and Antonio Conte but the north London club are still searching for his replacement.

Currently, Conte's assistant, Cristian Stellini, is at the helm until the end of the campaign and this appointment has not seen any improvement in the club's results.

Spurs are in serious danger of finding themselves considerably adrift of the Champions League race with three huge games ahead of them in the coming week.

However, a number of names continue to be linked with the vacancy in N17 and one of those is believed to be the former Spain and Barcelona manager, Enrique.

He is also a name believed to be on the list of their London rivals, Chelsea, as well with the two clubs believed to be targeting similar names.

Speaking on talkSPORT, insider Alex Crook has claimed Tottenham are, in fact, interested in the 52-year-old and may even look to reach out to him soon:

(0:30) "And now we're learning this morning [Tuesday], and I've had this confirmed, that Tottenham are interested in Luis Enrique as well and may even reach out and try and speak to him about becoming their new manager."

Who should Spurs hire as their next manager?

Over recent days, it has been suggested Daniel Levy is keen to bring in a manager who would view Tottenham as his first choice option.

This comes amid the competition Chelsea are likely to pose over the coming weeks/months with the two teams sharing a list of similar names in their managerial search.

However, it is believed Enrique has already been in London to hold talks with the Blues as the Spaniard is said to be keen on succeeding Graham Potter.

With this in mind, perhaps Enrique would not fit the bill for Spurs with Julian Nagelsmann also believed to be seriously interested in the job at Stamford Bridge.

Amid the managerial search going on behind the scenes at Tottenham, a lot of the Spurs fans have made their feelings known b singing the name of their former manager Mauricio Pochettino during games.

As Chelsea's managerial search could play a big influence on who is available for Tottenham to choose from, it will be interesting to see if Levy does stick to his reported demand.

If Chelsea were to select either Nagelsmann or Enrique, would Spurs then be open to hiring the other which Chelsea didn't?

Journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Mason Mount could change his contract negotiating stance depending on who is the next Chelsea manager.

What's the latest on Mason Mount and Chelsea?

At the end of the current season, the English midfielder will have just one year left on his contract and could be heading for the exit door.

Indeed, the Blues star has reportedly already rejected a contract offer of £200k-p/w amid talk of a possible move to Liverpool.

However, things at Chelsea have changed significantly in recent times with Graham Potter sacked and now Frank Lampard taking charge as interim until the end of the season.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano explained how this could all have an impact on Mount's future at Stamford Bridge.

He said (2:15): "What I can tell you is that the negotiations will resume at the end of the season. This is the idea. So May, June, in that moment, to understand more about Mason Mount.

"But from what I understand the new coach could change the situation. This is possible. Let's see who is going to be the new long-term coach.

"But it's not about Frank Lampard, Frank Lampard is focusing on the present. He's not creating any kind of issue with contracts or these kinds of things. He's focused on helping Chelsea right now.

"But for Mason Mount, the new coach is going to be important. And also let's see how the conversation will go at the end of the season, but at the moment it's still in standby between Mason Mount and Chelsea."

Will Mount sign a new contract if Lampard stays?

A collection of high-profile managers, such as Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique, Carlo Ancelotti and Mauricio Pochettino, have all been linked with the Chelsea job but it remains unclear just yet who Todd Boehly is likely to go for.

What's more, seeing as Mount has never played under any of these men, it's unlikely he already has a preferred option that would definitely change his mind about staying.

Of course, though, across spells with Derby County and Chelsea, he has played for Lampard 124 times – which is more than any other coach – so perhaps he could want to stay on if the interim is handed the role on a permanent basis at the end of the season.

As Romano points out though, Lampard isn't currently focused on any off-field issues such as this as he looks to guide the team to some better form on the pitch.

Still, it certainly looks as though there will be plenty to keep an eye on this summer as Mount considers his future and Chelsea seek out a new manager.

Burnley boss Vincent Kompany has 'emerged as a leading contender' for the Tottenham Hotspur job and would be interested in joining.

Who could replace Conte at Spurs?

Ever since former boss Antonio Conte departed the club by mutual consent recently, there have been a succession of both in-work and free agent managers linked to replacing him.

Chairman Daniel Levy is set to begin the club's hunt for a managerial successor off the field, with both Cristian Stellini and assistant coach Ryan Mason tasked with helping Spurs to a top four Premier League finish. Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann, Luis Enrique and Zinedine Zidane are among their targets for the role and many more appear to enter the frame on a consistent basis.

There have been reports of serious interest in Eintracht Frankfurt boss Oliver Glasner, for example, meanwhile Roberto De Zerbi of Brighton and Thomas Frank of Brentford are being eyed from closer to home.

Even Kompany, who has no experience managing in the English top flight, has been linked with taking over from Conte at Spurs.

What's the latest on Kompany to Spurs?

Now, a report by The Sun has shared some news on the 36-year-old potentially coming to Tottenham, with the newspaper describing him as a new 'leading contender' to become their new boss.

Furthermore, it is claimed that Kompany 'would be interested' in taking the job, with Levy personally thought to be impressed by his brilliant work at Burnley and exciting brand of football.

The Sun also relay that Spurs are putting together a shortlist with Nagelsmann, Pochettino, Enrique, Frank and Marco Silva all in the running to succeed Conte.

Could he do the job?

Kompany is a Man City legend and stood out as a pivotal figure during his time at Eastlands, with boss Pep Guardiola describing him as an 'incredible' and 'important' figure.

His Burnley side are seriously impressing and are on course to bounce straight back up at the first time of asking, all while scoring more goals and conceding fewer than any other second tier side.

Kompany's men have dominated that division with an entertaining brand of football and Burnley's imperious season arguably highlights their manager as one of Europe's most exciting young tacticians.

However, a job the size of Spurs could come to soon for the former City star, and we believe it is far more wise for him to continue his work at Turf Moor than jump into the chaos currently engulfing north London.

Arsenal may well be fighting atop the Premier League, enjoying a season that could well go down in history, but the pedigree of their title rivals cannot be forgotten.

Manchester City have been in this position countless times before, pushed to their limit by Liverpool only to surpass them on almost every occasion. They are a relentless machine, which would make this potential league victory all the more special.

There are so many moving parts and romantic storylines that have invested the country in this battle. With Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola, it offers a 'student becomes the master' dynamic, as two Spaniards boasting great tactical minds come together.

However, no matter what the conclusion of this campaign brings, one thing is for certain. The former Barcelona man will be keen to ensure there is no such scrap next year.

He will invest heavily, looking to build around his already phenomenal squad with further quality to allow them to challenge on all fronts once again. Therefore, if Arteta seeks to truly build a long-term dynasty at the Emirates, challenging for every honour too, he must seek to do the same.

Despite the rich talent running throughout the current squad, the exploits of some of their former players cannot be overlooked in relation to their most impressive recent assets. The mercurial midfielder Santi Cazorla springs to mind, with his potential successor, Gabri Veiga, seemingly keen on a move to north London.

Who is Gabri Veiga?

The tricky 20-year-old has burst onto the scene for Celta Vigo this season, scoring goals for fun in La Liga and deservedly earning links to some top teams, having been mentioned amongst many Premier League clubs who are seeking to bolster their midfield ranks tenfold.

But with a reported preference for Arsenal over the likes of Newcastle United and a €40m (£35m) release clause present, perhaps the Spanish contingent that has run through the club over the years could be a factor in his preference.

Cazorla stands out as the shining example of such a figure, with his ability remembered fondly by many fans of the Premier League.

A silky customer, the 38-year-old was equally as adept with both feet and could score or assist from anywhere. His ability over a dead ball also became legendary by the end of his tenure, and he would score 29 and assist 45 across 180 appearances.

Having recorded 24 goal contributions in his debut campaign in England, the 5 foot 6 magician would see his career marred by injuries that often left him sidelined for long periods.

However, his impact clearly remains lasting.

In Veiga, there is precedent to believe he could be moulded in such an image, especially given his nine goals and three assists already in the league at such a young age.

Not only this, but when compared to other midfielders across Europe he ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, the top 7% for progressive carries, and the top 2% for successful take-ons (via FBref).

Also branded "incredible" and "dangerous" by Spanish football expert Euan McTear, this equally talented midfielder has all the attributes to emulate Cazorla's brilliance and help maintain their place at the top of English football.

Aston Villa host Bournemouth in the Premier League this afternoon as they attempt to head into the international break off the back of a win.

The Villans have won two of their last three matches in the division but were held to a 1-1 draw by West Ham United in their game last weekend.

Unai Emery's side took the lead through Ollie Watkins' header but Leon Bailey fouled Lucas Paqueta in the box and allowed Said Benrahma to equalise from the spot.

Despite being unbeaten in the last three outings, the Spanish head coach may look to freshen his team up in their last match before the break.

How will Aston Villa line-up against Bournemouth?

We predict that Emery will make three alternations to his starting XI. Firstly, Ashley Young could be recalled to start at right-back ahead of Matty Cash.

The Poland international lost 100% of his individual duels against the Hammers and the veteran – who has the third-highest Sofascore rating (6.92) in the squad – could come in to replace him after that weak display.

In midfield, John McGinn and Douglas Luiz could continue as the central midfield pairing as Boubacar Kamara continues to recover from his injury.

There could be two changes in the attacking areas, however, as Leon Bailey and Emi Buendia could find themselves on the chopping block.

Starting on the right, Bertrand Traore could be given a big opportunity to catch the eye to replace Bailey. The Jamaica international gave away a penalty against West Ham and has one goal and zero assists in his last 14 appearances, which could tempt the manager to take him out of the firing line.

Buendia, meanwhile, has one goal and zero assists in his last eight outings in the Premier League and has recorded a Sofascore rating of 6.5 or lower in four of those games. This could open the door for Jhon Duran, 19, to come into the team alongside Ollie Watkins at the top end of the pitch.

The dynamo, who talent scout Jacek Kulig once dubbed an aerial "threat", is yet to start his first league match for the club but scored eight goals and provided three assists in 14 MLS starts in 2022 and could offer more of an attacking threat than the Argentine playmaker.

Leeds United's board have been slammed by Simon Jordan over issues behind the scenes which could well be having an effect on the pitch.

What did Simon Jordan say about Leeds?

It has been another challenging season for the Whites who find themselves slumped in the bottom three of the Premier League table with just 12 games to go.

It still remains extremely tight around the bottom with two consecutive wins for Leeds potentially able to take them as high as 12th depending on results elsewhere.

However, issues behind the scenes surrounding the potential sale of the club to 49ers Enterprises have been questioned alongside other decisions made by the current owner.

Indeed, speaking on TalkSport, Jordan has questioned the behind-the-scenes running of the club and issues which may well be harming the club on the pitch:

"If you keep, a bit like Icarus, flying close to the sun, you're going to get burned in the end, aren't you? And you're now flying close to the sun again on the second season.

"And they haven't spent enormous amounts of money, but there's so much riding on this, you know, with Andrea [Radrizzani] probably going to leave the club if it stays in the Premier League with an acquisition structure that's in place, not possibly there if it's in the Championship.

"There's so much going on perhaps behind the scenes; you hear things about players that are being sold by one particular part of the football club that the other part of the football club may not want them to sell."

Is the Leeds board harming the club?

We have seen on numerous occasions that the club's sporting director, Victor Orta, has become involved in altercations with certain fans of the clubs at the games.

The Spaniard has, at times, been unable to keep his emotions in check which has seen him caught in the middle of some unprofessional incidents with the fans.

However, as mentioned by Jordan, if the board are selling certain players which others would have wanted to keep at the club, then of course there is the possibility for issues to arise on the pitch.

Leeds brought in a number of players this season but have not spent massively compared to others in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, they did see a lot of money come in through the sales of Raphinha and Kalvin Phillips last summer leaving the club with a net spend of just £28m (via Transfermarkt).

And this has been a major issue for the Whites in being able to bring some money back into the club through player sales.

Raphinha and Phillips aside, over the last two seasons, Leeds have brought in less than £1m in player sales and only a few million pounds through loan deals.

Naturally, that will limit any club's ability to spend and that could well be the reason why Leeds are struggling so much again this season with relegation a serious possibility.

And considering the club could potentially be sold if they are able to keep their Premier League status, relegation could have huge ramifications for the West Yorkshire club.