Chelsea are reportedly in discussions with rivals West Ham United for Ruben Loftus-Cheek to join the Hammers on loan for the rest of the season.
The 20-year-old has been limited to just one Premier League appearance so far this season, and as he continues to struggle to break into Antonio Conte’s plans, he could be tempted to consider his options elsewhere to gain regular playing time.
According to The Express, Slaven Bilic is ready to give him that option as he looks to bolster his squad with loan signings in January in order to continue to push his side up the table and away from the relegation zone after a torrid start to the campaign.
Loftus-Cheek is arguably seen as an important figure in Chelsea’s future after signing a new contract until 2021 in February, but the short-term picture doesn’t look too promising for him.
Should he seal a temporary switch to the London Stadium, it would make it a staggering 38 players out on loan from Chelsea as they continue to face criticism for their youth policy.
Further, moving to West Ham probably won’t be the most popular move with Chelsea supporters, and so Loftus-Cheek may well receive some level of backlash from both sides before possibly turning the move into a success and silencing them.
It seems like a complicated move on paper, but the ultimate goal for all concerned will be to see Loftus-Cheek play regularly and improve.
If a move to West Ham ticks all those boxes, then Conte could well give it the green light and continue with his preferred options in midfield as Chelsea look for an 11th consecutive league win this weekend when they face Crystal Palace.