West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has suffered a hefty blow to his hopes of signing Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek in January as Maurizio Sarri chooses not to allow the out-of-favour talent out of Stamford Bridge, according to the Mirror.
The newspaper claim on their website that the Hammers boss was hoping to seal a temporary move for the 22-year-old, who has just three starts in his six appearances across all competitions this season, in a bid to bolster his options in the midfield.
However, the report claims that Sarri has vetoed any potential exit for the 6’3″ giant (source: Transfermarkt) with the England international, who was born and raised in London, handing the Irons a blow to their chances of his capture.
Opinion
It makes perfect sense why West Ham would want to take Loftus-Cheek to the London Stadium in the second half of the season, with Carlos Sanchez out until the summer and Jack Wilshere still to return from his own injury blow. What does not make sense is why Sarri is not willing to entertain the idea of sending him out to pick up some much needed game time. The midfielder is evidently good enough to be playing in the Premier League but with so much competition at Stamford Bridge, he has not been given the chance to do so on a regular basis. West Ham, who need the reinforcements, seems like an ideal place to send him. They are ambitious, playing some good football and have real quality among their ranks to ensure Loftus-Cheek would be learning from others rather than outshining everyone at the London Stadium. Still, Pellegrini might well have to settle for someone else if Sarri sticks to his guns – although you can be sure they player will be growing ever more frustrated week by week.