In recent weeks, a handful of senior Chelsea stars are constantly linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge and all of a sudden, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is also included into the fold, according to Italian website TuttoMercato Web.
Despite impressing in the pre-season and widely being hailed as the future of the club, as soon as the Premier League curtain was raised, the 20-year-old has seen his playing time steadily plummeted under new head coach Antonio Conte, only making two appearances for the club this campaign, both coming in the League Cup. Sadly, that little joy was short-lived by the hands of West Ham United in the Round of 16. However, The Hammers are keen to reassure playing minutes for the England international as they are looking to wrap up a season-long loan deal in the upcoming transfer window.
Selling the youngster is certainly not on cards as Loftus-Cheek signed a new five-year extension back in February, thus if a deal strikes, it would be a win-win situation for both teams, especially for Slaven Bilic’s side, who sit in the 17th position, after dreadfully picking up 11 points out of 12 matches so far. In short, since relocating to the London Stadium, the east London side has failed to hit top gear.
The midfielder, who is often compared to Manchester United’s talisman Paul Pogba, possess great physical strength, stamina and always has an eye for the goal. Bilic would be keen to have him as Cheikhou Kouyate’s reliable deputy, as squad depth would help propel them up the league table.
To further surprise the fans, Bilic is also looking to raid Chelsea’s back-up shot-stopper Asmir Begovic and former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas according to Daily Star. The former was signed from Stoke City back in 2015, yet Thibaut Courtois has cemented the starting spot since then. On the other hand, securing the services of the Spaniard would be a big boost in the heart of midfield. Despite not fitting the plans of Antonio Conte, as the Italian’s new formation demands physical strength and ample of quick movements to create space for the attackers, Fabregas is still a gem of a player. No one could deny that his astute vision of passes would be a prized asset, looking at the host of attacking talents West Ham comprise upfront, especially their star man, Dimitri Payet. Not forgetting his dangerous deliveries into the box from set pieces that would be a lethal weapon for Bilic’s towering defenders.
In short, it seems to be a long road for West Ham United to climb up the table yet the targeted trio would certainly be a turning point to smoothen the process. Yet plunging headlong into the same club to fortify three positions does build up an air of scepticism.