Ruben Loftus-Cheek is targeted by West Ham United. (Photo by OSCAR DEL POZO/AFP via Getty Images)
According to Italian source Radiosei via La Lazio Siamo Noi (h/t The Sun), Lazio have identified Chelsea star Ruben Loftus-Cheek as a potential target for the summer transfer window. He has struggled to get into the starting lineup under Thomas Tuchel this season, which has resulted in uncertainty over his future at Stamford Bridge.
Maurizio Sarri’s side is at risk of losing Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the summer transfer window. He has been linked with a move elsewhere to several clubs, including Manchester United. That has prompted the Serie A side to target Loftus-Cheek after this campaign to potentially replace Milinkovic-Savic.
The Italian club are looking to sign Loftus-Cheek on an initial loan deal for one term with an option to buy in the summer of 2023. That being said, they could also pay an upfront transfer fee if their senior players like Milinkovic-Savic, who is valued at £60million, would depart Stadio Olimpico this summer.
Loftus-Cheek’s time at the Bridge has certainly not turned out to be the way we initially hoped for when the academy graduate got promoted to the first team. Injuries and competition have often proved to be a roadblock which has been the case this time around as well.
Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante and Jorginho have prevented Loftus-Cheek from becoming a regular starter for us. With the likes of Conor Gallagher and Billy Gilmour set to return from their loan deals, things could get even more difficult for him next season.
Tuchel needs to seriously assess the current situation and give Loftus-Cheek more prominence moving forward. That is especially the case considering how Kante and Jorginho have struggled to regularly maintain their form recently. Both of them are in the latter stages of their playing careers, and perhaps their age is catching up to them, looking at their recent displays.
However, the interest from Lazio would be something to consider because of Sarri, who is currently their manager. After all, the former Blues coach was able to get the best out of Loftus-Cheek during his short stint with us. This could be an opportunity for us if Tuchel doesn’t deem the Englishman good enough to be a regular, or even a fringe player for us.
The 26-year-old recently dropped an excellent performance against Real Madrid, which could indicate that he could still turn things around at the West London side. If he stays at the Bridge, he would certainly have to fight for starts but it wouldn’t be a shabby sight seeing a player like being backup for us.
It will be interesting to see what path the Chelsea midfielder chooses for himself in the near future. Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham are two of the most recent English players who have left the Blues to find prominence in Serie A with AC Milan and AS Roma respectively.
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