According to The Telegraph, Newcastle United are interested in a move for Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The England midfielder is barely getting a sniff at Chelsea these days, and it really feels as though the time has come for a permanent move away from Stamford Bridge.
Newcastle are willing to offer him an escape route, and that is a very interesting rumour to say the least.
There’s reason to believe that Loftus-Cheek could thrive under Eddie Howe. The ex-Bournemouth coach has shown that he knows how to get the best out of his midfield players at Newcastle, and Loftus-Cheek is a talent that is just waiting to be unlocked.
Indeed, there’s a reason Rio Ferdinand has called him ‘unplayable’ in the past.
“He’s a fantastic specimen, first and foremost. I liken him, in full flow, to someone like Yaya Toure,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport.
“He can intimidate players. When he turns and goes full pelt, it’s unplayable at times. As a centre back that’s one of your biggest fears.”
We all know just how good Loftus-Cheek can be when he’s in full flow. He was incredible for Crystal Palace during his loan spell at Selhurst Park, while he also made an impact for England in 2018 when he was playing his best football.
Unfortunately though, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen that level of performance on a regular basis.
Loftus-Cheek has barely been playing for Chelsea, and during his last loan spell with Fulham back in 2020/21 he was seriously underwhelming – and that’s putting it lightly.
However, if any club can afford to take this type of risk, it’s Newcastle. They have a manager who has a knack of getting players back to their best, while money is no object for this club.
Loftus-Cheek, if he can rediscover his best form, could be a brilliant addition to this side, but there is a serious element of risk attached to this signing.
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