Declan Rice's importance to the West Ham United cause simply cannot be overstated.
A player earmarked to be the club's next captain, the England international is the Hammers' metronome and someone manager David Moyes previously said it would take 'Bank of England money' to prise away.
With that in mind, reports from Football Insider are obviously hugely unwelcome.
They claim free-spending Chelsea are plotting a move to sign the England international in January and that his current employers are braced for an offer.
Famously released by the Blues as a youngster, Rice described West Ham's win away at Stamford Bridge in November 2019 as 'probably one the best days' of his life.
Still, his friendship with Mason Mount has been well-documented and a move back to West London would represent a step up in his career given the differing fortunes between the two clubs.
Should he eventually leave, West Ham will surely have to demand top dollar.
The stats shown in the graphic above indicate his importance in that he ranks first in the squad for those vitally important metrics.
Luckily for the Hammers, Rice is under contract until 2024 and seemingly made no genuine attempt to force a move from the club despite links with Chelsea during the transfer window just gone.
With that in mind, they do seem well-placed to potentially negotiate on their terms should the reported interest ever get as far as that.