Declan Rice has gone on to star for West Ham after coming through their academy, but it followed his release from Chelsea in 2014 after spending eight years - from 2006 - with the west London club.

The squad and the Blues board had been in talks over a first-team pay cut, with players privately agreeing to accept a 10 per cent reduction after the club initially proposed 30 per cent.

Hakim Ziyech has revealed his 'connection' with Chelsea manager Frank Lampard convinced him to leave Ajax to sign for the Premier League club.

Dortmund sporting director Michel Zorc insists the club are 'totally relaxed' about the future of coveted youngster Jadon Sancho and that they have bigger concerns at this present time.

West Ham boss David Moyes is keen to freshen up his squad, and although he wants Rice to be part of it, knows he needs funds to reboot hi struggling side, according to the Sun.

The 31-year-old is said to be demanding a three-year deal which matches his current salary in west London, but Arsenal are against signing off such a long-term deal for a player who turns 32 in August.

For those of us fortunate enough to have watched Barcelona and Spain's great midfielders in their prime, there was a sense of an impossible standard being set for future generations.

Chelsea's players want any money they sacrifice to add to the club's efforts to support the NHS and those in need during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Serbia international is set to become one of Europe's hottest properties when the transfer market reopens for business after the suspension of football for the coronavirus pandemic.

Tottenham have been named the most valuable football club in the Premier League, according to an in-depth university study.

It's a month since chairman Daniel Levy called on all players to agree pay cuts to help football survive the financial crisis caused by the coronavirus.

Napoli forward Dries Mertens remains an option for Chelsea. The 32-year old is out of contract in the summer and has a number of offers on the table but is interested in a move to London.

EXCLUSIVE BY MIKE KEEGAN: The country's leading clubs have reaffirmed their commitment to women's football amid concerns over the impact of the coronavirus crisis on it.

With a permanent deal to Bayern currently unlikely, he Brazilian has been linked with a return to the Premier League and a move to Chelsea but Barcelona will not sell for less than £87m (€100m).

As doubts grow about the viability of playing out the rest of the Premier League season, a number of methods have been mooted to complete the campaign. L'Equipe proposed their own.

Antonio Rudiger feels the season should be ended immediately due to the dangers posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Chelsea defender feels that Liverpool must still be crowned champions.

The 2008 Champions League final between Chelsea and Manchester United could've gone very differently if everything had gone according to John Terry's training plan. 

AHEAD OF THE GAME: Chelsea players' U-turn on accepting pay cuts last weekend followed pressure from players at other Premier League clubs

Frank Lampard worked with Bird when he was the manager of the Rams and is ready to clinch a £4.8million deal for the midfielder - £200,000 short of Derby's asking price.

It's been a year to forget for Hazard who has gone from being a global star to almost a forgotten entity, but how did other ex-Premier League starts fare in their debut Bernabeu seasons?

The forward's deal at Stamford Bridge runs out in June and while there have been links of a move to Real Betis, the 32-year-old still has planned talks with the Blues over a potential new deal.

A Saudi regime with bottomless pockets on Tyneside could signify a changing of the guards when it comes who will be challenging for Premier League titles in years to come.

This year Dortmund face another battle to cling onto Jadon Sancho, amid interest from Premier League sides, but how have past players from the German side fared in the English top flight?

Pedro has struggled for playing time under Blues boss Frank Lampard this term, making just nine Premier League appearances, and the club haven't yet offered him a new contract.

The striker burst on to the European stage this season after his impressive form for Red Bull Salzburg earned him a £17million transfer to Borussia Dortmund in January.

The club had requested that the players return to London as the club prepare for training at Cobham to start up again, and now the likes of Willian and Christian Pulisic are back.

CRAIG HOPE: There are more questions than answers right now when it comes to determining if and when Premier League football will return. Here, Sportsmail looks at some of the key talking points.

Premier League clubs fear that fans will break coronavirus social distancing guidelines even if football returns at neutral grounds. Some clubs believe viewing parties will also threaten guidelines

Manchester United's top-four hopes would be bolstered, while Newcastle's fight against relegation would be worse if Premier League matches were shortened from the start this season.

Chelsea winger Willian has already sealed his reunion with pal Jose Mourinho by agreeing to join Tottenham, according to beIN Sports.

Manchester United and Chelsea have reportedly both been in contact with Timo Werner's agent about the possibility of signing the highly-sought after striker. 

The 19-year-old starlet's contract expires on July 1 and there are suggestions that Premier League sides - including Chelsea - are keen on snapping him up if he decides to end his time at Old Trafford.

United have long admired the Italy international and scouted the £60m rated winger as recently as February. However, Chelsea's interests have also grown in recent weeks.

Dutch legend hung up his boots last summer after an illustrious 19-year career. But Robben hinted at performing a U-turn recently, revealing the idea of playing again 'tickled' him..

A number of stars, such as Liverpool's Adam Lallana, Manchester City's David Silva and Chelsea's Willian are out of contract on June 30 and will be free to negotiate with new clubs if no deal is offered.

ALVISE CAGNAZZO IN ITALY: For the first time, sporting director Igli Tare has admitted that it is up to Milinkovic-Savic if he wants to leave the Stadio Olimpico.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard has insisted his players will need a proper pre-season as he wrestles with getting his side back to fitness for Project Restart.  

The young left-back faced an in-form Belgian as Steve Bruce's side visited Stamford Bridge with Chelsea firmly in the hunt for the Premier League title.

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has revealed that players would hide from Jose Mourinho at their Carrington training ground if they had lost a game.

Chelsea and Manchester United are thought to have a strong interest in the winger with Juventus, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal also tracking him.

The striker's current deal is set to expire in the summer and he has been linked with a move away from the French champions after almost departing in the January window.

As reported by L'Equipe , Tottenham remain in pole position to sign the right-back, who is set to become a free agent this summer.

NASA astronaut aboard the International Space Station snapped a stunning image of a full moon rising over the frozen Hudson Bay in northern Canada earlier this month.

The eye of the Calvinia tropical storm was just east of the island of Mauritius before heading south, as shown by NASA imagery on Tuesday.

Devastating bushfires burning across Australia have generated massive clouds of smoke that can be seen from outer space. 

Smoke from Australia's bushfires has drifted 2,000km across the Tasman Sea, shrouding New Zealand .

The core rocket stage of the so-called 'Space Launch System' (SLS) was constructed at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

A team of researchers from UCLA and NASA's JPL have detected the smallest quantities of dark matter ever, slow moving 'clumps' near quasars identified with new data from the Hubble.

The role that design will play in humanity's journey to the Red Planet is explored in an exhibition running at the Design Museum in London until 23 February 2020, entitled 'Moving to Mars'.

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles used satellite data to show that storms form when solar winds interact with the Earth's magnetic field.