To ‘push out’ Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Stamford Bridge in order to sabotage Liverpool’s pursuit of a £53 million midfielder, Mauricio Pochettino will need to do so
Pochettino is anticipated to be named the new Chelsea manager in the summer, and his first order of business will be to trim down a bloated Blues roster before making additional additions to bolster it.
Twelve players, including six homegrown stars who represent pure profit as the club tries to adhere to FFP regulations, may be up for sale this summer, according to reports.
Loftus-Cheek, who came up through the Chelsea academy and spent time on loan at Crystal Palace and Fulham, is one of the players that Chelsea is clearly looking to get rid of. He has been a bit-part player for the entire time that he has been a Chelsea player. The 27-year-old is a fellow Chelsea academy graduate, and AC Milan are hoping to persuade him to join Fikayo Tomori at the San Siro. However, the midfielder’s £150,000 weekly salary is a roadblock.
Additionally, according to the Evening Standard, Loftus-Cheek “remains reluctant to leave his boyhood club” and “would need to be forced out by the incoming manager at Stamford Bridge” despite only having one year left on his contract. After being made available relatively late in the transfer window, the England international turned down a move elsewhere in January. Chelsea wants to see Loftus-Cheek and many of his teammates depart so that Pochettino can bring in new players.
Romeo Lavia of Southampton is reportedly in “talks” about moving to Stamford Bridge, and the Blues are also making progress in their pursuit of Sporting Lisbon’s Manuel Ugarte. Ugarte, who joined the Portuguese team for £6 million in the summer of 2021, has been in “direct contact” with Liverpool for the past two weeks, though Football Transfers adds that the Reds have other players higher on their wishlist.
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