Matthew Upson praised Ruben Loftus-Cheek on BBC One for the Chelsea midfielder’s ‘inch perfect’ passing in the FA Cup after a reported January transfer to Everton failed to surface.
Loftus-Cheek helped inspire a 3-2 win for Thomas Tuchel’s men away to Championship side Luton Town on Wednesday night. The 26-year-old shone in a makeshift centre-back role on the right-hand side of a three-man backline at Kenilworth Road in a highly changed line-up.
Tuchel has rarely utilised the robust midfielder so far this term with the midweek clash just his 23rd appearance. Loftus-Cheek has additionally only started 10 of his outings across all competitions this season for a combined 1,169-minutes – the equivalent of 13 full fixtures.
Yet Tuchel refused to sanction a move for Loftus-Cheek to join Everton from Chelsea in the January transfer window. That’s according to the Daily Mail, who reported the Toffees had expressed their interest in signing the 10-cap England international as deadline day neared.
Injuries had decimated the Goodison Park ranks at the time with Abdoulaye Doucoure and Fabian Delph sidelined. Frank Lampard would ultimately come in to replace Rafa Benitez at the helm and secured deadline beating deals for Dele Alli and Donny van de Beek instead.
Loftus-Cheek continues to face an uncertain future in west London, however. The Daily Star later noted Chelsea will listen to offers for their academy product at the end of the season as Tuchel will look to clear space for another Everton target, Conor Gallagher, to return.
Upson in awe of ‘inch perfect’ Everton target Loftus-Cheek in Chelsea win
Loftus-Cheek showed Everton in Chelsea’s FA Cup win over Luton the potential extra gains he could have added to Lampard’s Goodison ranks with a late transfer during January. His performance earned the midfielder the Man of the Match award and enthralled Upson.
“We talked about the distribution of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, this is a quality pass,” Upson said. “Reece Burke is just out of position and the pass is inch perfect. That is a composed finish, Timo Werner just stabs it into that far corner.”
Loftus-Cheek assisted Werner for Chelsea’s second equaliser away to Luton before Romelu Lukaku’s late winner. He played a superb weighted long ball over the second-tier side to free Werner and also produced a strong driving run with the ball from the Blues’ backline.
Given his uncertain Chelsea future and a prior relationship with Lampard from his time at the Stamford Bridge helm, Everton may keep tabs on Loftus-Cheek for a summer transfer.
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