West Ham are considering a January move for Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek, according to reports in the Sun.
The 22-year-old has struggled to hold down a regular first team spot for the Blues so far this season in the face of competition from N’golo Kante, Ross Barkley, and Mateo Kovacic, and is understood to be open to looking elsewhere for minutes.
Any deal would likely be a short-term loan, and Manuel Pellegrini’s side are thought to be keen on bringing the England international to the London Stadium.
The Hammers will face from competition from Bournemouth for his signature, but believe that the prospect of staying in the capital and playing in a side that has found its rhythm in recent weeks could give them an advantage over the Cherries.
Good move for West Ham?
Loftus-Cheek is arguably one of the most promising players in the Premier League. There are few sides that he would not walk straight into and it’s frustrating to see a player of his ability warm the Chelsea bench every week. With Jack Wilshere out for an indefinite period of time with an ankle injury, and Carlos Sanchez and Manuel Lanzini both sidelined, the Hammers could really use some reinforcements in the middle of the park, and there are few realistic targets who would bring as much to the table as Loftus-Cheek would. A hard-running, outgoing midfielder, he has the capability to take a game to the opposition, and the prospect of him linking up with Marko Arnautovic and Felipe Anderson is a mouth-watering one indeed.
This is Futbol rating: 9/10
Likely to happen?
Loftus-Cheek did spend the whole of last season on loan at Crystal Palace, and his first team opportunities has not increased a great deal since then. Chelsea are clearly not averse to lending him out, but the World Cup over the summer did see his profile rise dramatically and for all his chances are limited, the midfielder does appear to hold a more senior role in the first team setup. There are two ways of looking at that: either he is too important to let go, or he is more justified than ever before in his frustration at a lack of action and must be appeased to avoid losing him permanently. The Hammers will be hoping the latter is the case.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10