Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel is set to turn down a loan to AC Milan, as he bids to fight for a first-team place at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea midfielder Marco van Ginkel is set to turn down a move to AC Milan, according to Italian transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio.
The two sides are understood to have reached an agreement over a loan deal, but Van Ginkel is determined to fight for a place in Jose Mourinho’s lineup, despite the fierce competition.
Arriving from boyhood club Vitesse in July 2013 for around £8 million, the 21-year-old Dutchman made just four appearances during his first season at Stamford Bridge, before suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in a League Cup tie against Swindon Town in September.
Returning to the reserve team action towards the end of the campaign, the two-time capped international impressed for the club in pre-season but, with the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Eden Hazard, Oscar and Willian ahead of him in the pecking order, looked set to spend at least the 2014-15 season elsewhere.
Having seen him star in Eredivisie, Mourinho remains a big fan of his all-round midfield skills, even vetoing an earlier loan move to Ajax last August to keep him around the first-team setup.
However, after witnessing previous promising talents struggle to progress their careers while stuck on the star-studded Chelsea bench, one has to question whether Van Ginkel would be making the right decision in snubbing a spell in Serie A.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
