Crystal Palace have won the Premier League battle to secure the loan signing of Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer, according to the Telegraph.
The newspaper claim that the 21-year-old central midfielder will become new Eagles boss Frank de Boer’s first signing at the helm of the club, after beating off competition from top flight rivals Newcastle, Southampton and Brighton.
He will be the second Chelsea loanee that the Magpies have missed out on this summer, after Swansea pipped them to securing a deal for England Under-21 striker Tammy Abraham.
Both players are graduates of the Chelsea academy, having risen through the youth ranks together, but while Abraham impressed out on loan at Bristol City last summer, this will be the first time Loftus-Cheek has left the Blues in his career.
Last season saw him play a bit-part role in the league for Chelsea, with six substitute appearances totalling a mere 32 minutes of playing time.
However he was awarded a role in the starting XI for their early FA Cup and League Cup ties, making a total of 11 appearances across all competitions last season.
Able to operate as either a defensive or attacking midfielder, Loftus-Cheek has made 32 appearances in both cup and league competitions for Chelsea, his debut coming as a substitute in a 3-1 Champions League victory over Sporting in 2014, and has managed to grab two goals and provide five assists.
He also has a great amount of experience with England’s Under-21 side, with 17 appearances and seven goals under his belt for the young lions.