Here is why I left: Ruben Loftus-Cheek reveals the two reasons why he left Chelsea and Pulisic is set to join him at AC Milan
Here is why I left: Ruben Loftus-Cheek reveals the two reasons why he left Chelsea and Pulisic is set to join him at AC Milan.
The English midfielder, who signed a four-year contract with the Italian giants, is set to be followed by former Blues team-mate Christian Pulisic in Milan.
Loftus-Cheek, 27, admitted it was time to leave west London after over two decades at the club, as he became increasingly frustrated by both a lack of game time and the positions he was being deployed in.
‘I love the club and the fans but I wasn’t feeling content with the amount I was playing and the positions I was playing in,’ he admitted during his AC Milan press conference.
‘I felt I had more to give but I wasn’t getting the opportunity. I feel good physically and am playing some really good football. It was a good time to move on.’
Loftus-Cheek flourished during his season-long loan spell at Crystal Palace in 2017-18 and subsequently earned a call-up to Gareth Southgate’s World Cup squad in Russia that summer.
But the midfielder struggled to carve out a permanent position in the first team upon his return to Stamford Bridge, affected in part by a serious Achilles injury, and has since played a sporadic role, failing to rack up more than 25 appearances in a season across all competitions at the club.
During injury-stricken spells, former Chelsea managers Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter would deploy the box-to-box midfielder as a wide player or wing-back, using him mostly as a utility player.
oftus-Cheek will begin his new chapter at AC Milan during the team’s pre-season tour of the United States, as the Serie A side prepare to face European giants such as Real Madrid and Barcelona.
By moving to the San Siro, the 27-year-old has reunited with former Blues star Fikayo Tomori, who joined AC Milan in 2021.
‘He has huge talent,’ said Loftus-Cheek. ‘He is dynamic, quick and can score goals.
‘In the lockdown period, under Frank Lampard, he was incredible and if he can reproduce that again, he would be a top addition to the team.’
Loftus-Cheek is one of several Chelsea players to leave the club this summer, as Blues chairman Todd Boehly continues his aggressive rebuild of squad.
The American spent upwards of £600m during his first season at the helm, luring expensive stars such as Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku to west London.
Several Premier League clubs have taken advantage of players wishing to leave Chelsea this summer, with Manchester United buying Mason Mount, Arsenal landing Kai Havertz and Manchester City signing Mateo Kovacic to replace Ilkay Gundogan.
Meanwhile, N’Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy and Kalidou Koulibaly have packed their bags to join Saudi clubs Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal respectively, Cesar Azpilicueta has left for Atletico Madrid on a free transfer and Tiemoue Bakayoko has become a free agent.
