RUBEN LOFTUS-CHEEK: OUR FOCUS

After strengthening the goalkeeping department, AC Milan have bolstered their midfield with the signing of Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Size, strength, substance and experience: the 27-year-old Englishman of Guyanese descent is an important addition, both because of his impressive physical stature and the position he plays in, with Coach Pioli gaining someone he can rely on in the immediate future. Born in Lewisham, he’s always been in London and England, but he's now left the Premier League after 157 appearances, ten goals and twelve assists across nine seasons.

His commanding presence gives him an advantage when it comes to breaking up play, but it doesn’t stop him from being dynamic with the ball at his feet. Loftus-Cheek is all about muscle, running, determination and recoveries. Furthermore, he knows how to be fast on his feet and think quickly, with bursts forward being part of his game. Although he'll have to settle in, getting used to the Rossoneri setup shouldn't be too much of a problem: he's played in many positions during his career, including in attack and defence. Nevertheless, a midfield role remains his preference, and taking to the pitch as one of the two deeper central midfielders in Pioli's trademark 4-2-3-1 formation should suit him well. However, it won't come as much of a surprise if he's asked to occupy other positions.

Loftus-Cheek joined the Chelsea youth setup in 2004 and experienced trophy success as he developed. He became part of the first-team picture in 2014/15, with his debut coming in December in the Champions League (he played the final few minutes as the Blues beat Sporting Lisbon 3-1). That season, under Mourinho, he didn't make too many appearances but was nevertheless involved in a side that won the Premier League title and League Cup. In 2015/16, he tried to earn more playing time. It wasn't easy to do so, although he scored the first senior goal of his career in January 2016 (in the FA Cup). In 2016/17, with Conte at the helm, he won the Premier League again.  

The following campaign saw him leave Chelsea for the first time as he joined Crystal Palace. He then went on to spend the 2020/21 season at Fulham. Two loan spells, one objective: to play more and, in doing so, grow. This is exactly what he did: he scored two goals in 25 appearances for the Eagles, while he bagged once in 32 matches for the Cottagers. In between and after these stints, he returned to Chelsea. In 2018/19, he increasingly gained favour with Sarri and became a Europa League winner. During the competition, he scored a hat-trick during the group stage against BATE Borisov, although he missed the final due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. It was a severe injury that forced him to sit on the sidelines for many months, and he finally made his return in the summer of 2020. In 2021/22, he featured in 40 matches under Tuchel and added the UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup to his medal collection, even if he wasn’t involved in either competition.

At international level, after making his way up the youth ranks and being involved in the U21 Euros, he received his first senior call-up in November 2017 and made his debut that same month (a 0-0 friendly draw against Germany). He also played for England at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.  

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