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Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek is reportedly keen to continue at Stamford Bridge amidst interest from elsewhere.
As per the Daily Mail, Loftus-Cheek is attracting interest from AS Roma, West Ham United and Everton. Crystal Palace are also keen on his services. The 26-year-old had a loan spell at Selhurst Park in the 2017-18 season and impressed in midfield.
Loftus-Cheek hasn’t always found playing time easy to come by at Chelsea. But he hasn’t done a bad job whenever he has been called up by manager Thomas Tuchel.
He has made 18 appearances in the Premier League so far this season, and has started in the last three games for the Blues.
Loftus-Cheek was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail that his best performances come when he plays regularly. He said:
“Confidence comes from playing a lot, being exposed to it every week. You get confidence and it becomes second nature to do things you do on the pitch. If you don’t have confidence you second-guess yourself and it becomes a lot of over-thinking on the pitch.
“That’s what I’ve had for a lot of my career," he added. "I haven’t been confident in myself because of my body and not playing a lot so it’s hard to then just come in and dazzle. That’s the fight I’ve had all my life. I feel like when I’ve had a consistent amount of games I’ve flourished. Like the Palace season and with Maurizio Sarri.”
The midfielder added that he is glad Tuchel has recently been handing him more opportunities. He hinted that he wants to stay at the club and kick on, saying:
"I feel like the manager trusts me which gives me a lot of confidence, playing me against Real Madrid [in the Champions League last week] and bringing me on in the semi-final. That says a lot. I’m grateful to be in this position. Now we have to kick on.”
Chelsea have a decision to make about Loftus-Cheek
Chelsea certainly have a talented supply line as their academy has produced some wonderful players in recent years.
Like Loftus-Cheek, 22-year-old Conor Gallagher has impressed on loan at Crystal Palace, with eight goals and five assists in 33 appearances this season. The Blues have some experienced midfielders, but a lot of them will need to be replaced in the coming years.
Jorginho and N’Golo Kante are both in their 30s, so the club will have to think about how to replace them.
Loftus-Cheek and Gallagher are two obvious long-term options, considering their age and ability.
At his best, Loftus-Cheek can be a complete midfielder as he is strong, can find a pass and is a tough player to get past. It remains to be seen if he can become a regular next season as he enters the peak years of his career.
