AC Milan are keen to strike a deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer, 90min understands.
The 27-year-old, who joined Chelsea 19 years ago, has been a fringe player for the past few seasons and has now entered the final 18 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea‘s new policy, which aims to prevent players from entering the final two years of their deals, means those on expiring contracts could be sold for the right price, and Loftus-Cheek is among that group of players facing uncertain futures.
Sources have confirmed to 90min that Loftus-Cheek has generated plenty of interest from Serie A, where Lazio and Napoli are known admirers, but Milan are emerging as serious contenders for the midfielder’s signature.
Former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori, who came through the academy alongside Loftus-Cheek before his move to Milan, is understood to have given a rave review of the midfielder when asked by his club.
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Loftus-Cheek is intrigued by the idea of moving to Milan and could prioritise a Serie A switch over remaining in the Premier League, where Crystal Palace, Fulham, Leicester, Newcastle, West Ham and Wolves are all keen.
With Chelsea faced with a need to sell players this summer, they are open to offers and are keen to take advantage of Milan’s interest in a number of players at Stamford Bridge. Kalidou Koulibaly, Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi are all on Milan’s radar as well.
Importantly, Milan’s interest in Loftus-Cheek and the other players is not currently linked to Chelsea’s pursuit of 23-year-old forward Rafael Leao, who is also in the final 18 months of his contract but is in talks over an extension.
Chelsea’s interest in Leao will remain even if he puts pen to paper on a new deal in Milan and sources expect the Blues to explore a move which could see a number of players head to San Siro in exchange.
As of yet, however, Milan have not shown any willingness to part ways with Leao, with club officials regularly stressing their commitment to the Portugal international.
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