Rafael Benitez wanted to bring Ruben Loftus-Cheek to Newcastle United but the Chelsea loanee opted for Crystal Palace instead.
It says a lot about Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s performance that he stood out despite Crystal Palace going down to a 5-0 thumping at the hands of Manchester City on Saturday.
The Chelsea loanee could have even put the pointless, goalless visitors in front at The Etihad, rattling the post following a trademark bursting run before clipping a clever effort just far of the post.
“I feel this kid’s a Rolls-Royce, Loftus-Cheek. I think he’s a real footballer,” former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood was quoted as saying by the Daily Star.
“I think he’s putting himself in the shop window for someone like Man City. ‘If Chelsea don’t want me, I’ll tell you what, Man City might want me’. And he’s capable of playing for them.”
Just 24 hours later, however, Newcastle United were lacking any sort of pace, guile or precision in the centre of the park as their three-match winning run was brought to an untimely end with a 1-0 defeat to Brighton at the Amex Stadium. Isaac Hayden, in particular, was criticised following a poor display that will once again raise concerns about whether Rafael Benitez’s squad of ‘Championship players’ are good enough to make the grade in the Premier League.
Lofty expectations
Benitez, to his credit, tried to sign Loftus-Cheek on loan from the champions in January and renewed his interest in the summer, per the Shields Gazette, only for the London-born midfielder to opt for the shorter commute to Selhurst Park.
Yet, if their respective weekend performances are anything to go by, the 21-year-old’s pace, power and creativity could have come in handy at Newcastle.
Whether he is good enough for City, let alone Chelsea, is another matter entirely.
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