Roy Hodgson would reportedly love to bring Ruben Loftus-Cheek back to Crystal Palace from Premier League London rivals Chelsea this summer.
Chelsea have been regularly pilloried by fans, neutrals and pundits alike for their apparent reluctance to give any of their many young stars a chance to prove themselves in the senior side.
And, to be quite honest, the sight of Ruben Loftus-Cheek starring on loan at Crystal Palace and forcing his way into the England squad was embarrassing for Chelsea supporters. Particularly when Danny Drinkwater and Ross Barkley, who cost a combined £50 million, were collecting splinters on the Stamford Bridge bench.
But while Antonio Conte was a little reluctant to give Loftus-Cheek the chance he deserved, it remains to be seen what Maurizio Sarri’s plans are for the 22-year-old midfield powerhouse.
In a potential boost to Palace’s hopes, Sarri has brought his former Napoli lynch-pin Jorginho with him to Stamford Bridge. The arrival of the Italy international is sure to restrict opportunities for Loftus-Cheek in midfield.
Furthermore, Sarri is not exactly known for his rotation policy. He was criticised heavily by Napoli owner Aurelio Di Laurentiis for an apparent reluctance to change up his starting XI and, should he adopt a similar approach at Stamford Bridge, Loftus-Cheek could be left on the sidelines.
So with Loftus-Cheek in need of further game-time, a return to Palace seems like the best possible solution on paper.
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