It’s not official yet, but we can safely say that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a new AC Milan player. There are no more doubts that the 27-year-old English midfielder will join the Rossoneri from Chelsea and try to compensate for the impending departure of Sandro Tonali to Newcastle. The now former Chelsea player will land in Milan on Thursday to undergo the usual medical examinations and seal his move to Italy. Loftus-Cheek will join Milan permanently: the Rossoneri, between a fixed portion and bonuses, will pay Chelsea a total amount of $22 million (17.75 + 4.25). The player will sign a five-year contract and will receive around $4.25 net per season.##NAJAVA_MECA_7343844##The tall and physically strong box-to-box midfielder, Loftus-Cheek, can play in a two-man midfielder – and he would do so in Milan – or a three-man midfield. He knows how to balance the defensive phase and forward play. And Antonio Conte, during his time at Chelsea, even tried him as a striker in a friendly, stating his physical and technical attributes made him a potentially dangerous attacker. However, Milan coach Stefano Pioli will probably use the new signing in the middle of the park. Milan’s new strategy: Sell to England, buy from EnglandRaised in the Chelsea youth academy, Loftus-Cheek has practically always played for the Blues, although he had two season-long loans, in 2017/18 at Crystal Palace and in 2020/21 at Fulham. Speaking of football, he has never moved from London. In 2018/19, he was coached by Maurizio Sarri, and it is no coincidence that market rumours have suggested his reunion with Lazio. That year the current Biancoceleste coach made him play 24 times in the Premier League, of which only six as a starter. However, he failed to match that season’s tally of six goals in the following campaigns. Ruben Loftus-Cheek has agreed an £18.5m move to AC Milan after nearly 20 years at boyhood club Chelsea 🔁✅ pic.twitter.com/dmvSiW2B2C— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 27, 2023 In the season that has just ended, Loftus-Cheek made 25 Premier League appearances, including 19 as a starter. In the Champions League, on the other hand, he took the field seven times, but only a couple of these from the first minute (one of those was in the 3-0 group stage over Milan). His playing time was in line with previous years, in which RLC has never managed to become a pillar of Chelsea as he would have wanted at the beginning of his career. Useful yes, also appreciated, but nowhere near essential.Playing in Serie A has proved a welcome change for the likes of Chris Smalling, Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic, Tammy Abraham, Fikayo Tomori, Ashley Young, Ismael Bennacer and a few other players who, for whatever reason, failed to make an impact in the Premier League. Loftus-Cheek might just be the next.
