Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek outlines his battle with injuries. (Getty Images)
According to Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football.london), Chelsea could offer academy graduate Ruben Loftus-Cheek in deal to sign Achraf Hakimi from Inter Milan.
Hakimi has been on the radars of Chelsea for quite some time now. The Blues have been facing intense competition from French heavyweights Paris Saint-Germain in the race to sign the 22-year-old Moroccan international. (h/t Football.london)
However, PSG’s lack of willingness to commit to a transfer deal has left Hakimi confused and frustrated, reports the Mirror. This has led to him cooling down on his interest in securing a transfer to the French capital club.
This development could open up a window of opportunity for Chelsea to launch a swoop for Hakimi. And, it is now being claimed that the Blues could be open to using midfielder Loftus-Cheek as a sweetener in the deal, so that the transfer can see the light of the day. (h/t Football.london)
Loftus-Cheek has been tipped as one of the best young players to have come through the ranks at Chelsea. However, serious injuries during the 2019/20 season meant that he has somewhat regressed. The England international spent the 2020/21 season out on loan at Fulham and failed to make the most of his opportunity.
Now returning to Chelsea, Loftus-Cheek will have to compete with N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic, Mason Mount for a starting berth, while fellow midfielders returning from loan – Conor Gallagher and Ross Barkley could also be involved in the competition for places.
With Loftus-Cheek not having done enough at Fulham, now Thomas Tuchel is open to sending him to Inter Milan in case it helps the club land Hakimi. Chelsea have already had an offer of £56.1m rejected for the ex-Real Madrid star, with Inter Milan holding out for a transfer fee of £68.6m, claims Sky Sports.
Whether the potential inclusion of Loftus-Cheek in the deal convinces the Serie A champions to settle for a lower fee remains to be seen.
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