Ruben Loftus-Cheek has warned Chelsea he will leave the club this summer if he is not offered assurances about regular playing time next season.
The 22-year-old is highly rated at Chelsea but has struggled to break into the first-team and was forced to find regular playing time elsewhere last season, joining Crystal Palace on loan.
Loftus-Cheek has been included in England’s 23-man squad for the 2018 World Cup and insists he has no interest in returning to the bench at Chelsea.
“Going forward I’ve really realised the importance of playing regularly for my own progress and development,” The Daily Mirror quote Loftus-Cheek as saying.
“I felt like I got better and better every game at Palace so playing regularly is the key going forward and that will help me make my decision after the World Cup.”
Chelsea are still unsure who their manager will be be next season, while the fact they are targeting Nice midfielder Jean Seri does not inspire confidence about their plans for Loftus-Cheek going forward.
Loftus-Cheek impressed during England’s final World Cup warm-up match on Thursday, completing 100% of his passes during 79-minute performance against Costa Rica, including an assist for Marcus Rashford’s opener.
Palace would likely jump at the chance of re-signing Loftus-Cheek for next season but will face stiff competition from a number of Premier League sides if he is free to leave Chelsea.
Of Premier League players that made at least 15 starts last season, only Eden Hazard and Richarlison were fouled more frequently than Loftus-Cheek (every 30.4 minutes).
