Ruven Loftus-Cheek: When I decided I had to leave Chelsea
The 27-year-old has left the Blues permanently after almost two decades at the club, joining Italian giants in a deal worth an initial £14million with a further £3m potentially due in add-ons.
Loftus-Cheek started half of the Blues’ Premier League games last season but was unhappy with the roles he was being asked to play under four different managers dueing a tumultuous campaign, prompting him to assess options elsewhere.
He joins Fikayo Tomori, a team-mate with England and former Chelsea colleague, along with soon-to-be-former Blue Christian Pulisic, in Milan and said the defender helped him decide.
“When I could potentially move to AC Milan, I was asking a lot of questions about general life in Milan, training, where does he live. Get a picture of what it is like to live in Milan and play for AC Milan. He definitely pulled me in,” he told a press conference on Tuesday.
“I was looking for something new. I had been at Chelsea a long tim and it seemed like a good moment to move on. I wasn’t necessarily looking abroad but assessing options. AC Milan are huge and it’s not something I would turn down, playing for a huge club and to learn a language. It made sense to me.”
He continued: “At the start of the season I didn’t know [what I was going to do], but towards the end I started to feel as though I was ready for something new. I had been at the club for a while.
“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. I felt I had more to give. I wasn’t getting the opportunity to do that.
“I feel ready and I feel good physically. I am playing some really good football. I felt it was a good time to move on.”
Pulisic is expected to complete his own move to AC Milan this week and Loftus-Cheek has backed the American to shine at San Siro.”
He continued: “I have played with Puli for a number of years now. I have seen his talent. He has huge talent. We have seen that with Chelsea at times and definitely with his national team.
“The way he plays with his international team is top. Maybe at Chelsea, he hasn’t had the time to do that. I remember in the lockdown period, under Frank Lampard, he was incredible. If he can reproduce that again…
“I feel he was ready to move on as well. If he can play to his best, like I know he can, he is a top player, a dynamic player, he is quick and score goals. He would be a top addition to the team.”
