5 players Newcastle United want to sign in January

#2 Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Chelsea)

Chelsea v PAOK - UEFA Europa League - Group L

Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a 22-year-old central midfielder who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. He has also featured for England's national team, having played 10 times since his debut in November 2017. He was called up to the 2018 World Cup squad in the summer, too.

Loftus-Cheek is a product of Chelsea's youth academy, and after spending a year on loan with Crystal Palace, is now used as a rotation player in the first team. He's made eight appearances in the league so far, scoring three goals.

It's a well-known secret, however, that Loftus-Cheek is unlikely to be part of Maurizio Sarri's future plans, with the Italian probably more eager to sign already-established players to take his place.

With this in mind, a move to a club like Newcastle could be Loftus-Cheek's best bet for his career - it's still Premier League football, after all.

Rumour probability: 6/10

The Mirror have reported that Loftus-Cheek is finding his time at Chelsea "tough" after going from being a Premier League regular with Crystal Palace to the subs bench at Stamford Bridge.

At this stage in his career, it's vital that he plays regularly, as he did with Palace, so he should seek a move away from the Blues in January.