Home » Article » Should This Talented Chelsea Star Make A Temporary Switch To Bundesliga?

Should This Talented Chelsea Star Make A Temporary Switch To Bundesliga?

Related image

21-year old Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has emerged as a loan target for German side Borussia Monchengladbach. Die Fohlen have been found wanting this season in the Bundesliga and currently lie in the 11th place and are hence plotting a move for the Englishman as they look to strengthen over the summer.

The 21-year old has found first-team football hard to come by this season under new manager Antonio Conte after impressing heavily in the latter parts of the last term under interim boss Guus Hiddink. Loftus-Cheek has just seen 15 minutes of Premier League action, but has featured four times from the kick-off in the EFL Cup and the FA Cup combined, where he has given a good account of himself, chalking up two crucial assists.

There was plenty of interest around Loftus-Cheek in the January window with teams like Newcastle United, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion – all were trying to sign him on loan. However, the midfielder opted to stay at Stamford Bridge and fight for his place in the starting XI. But with his situation not getting any better, Loftus-Cheek could very well opt to move to Germany in search of regular playing time.

Conte has been very reluctant to alter his playing XI, that has brought him so much success, with Chelsea winning 16 of their 18 league games since October last year. Summer signing N’Golo Kante has been absolutely destructive in the middle of the park, hounding his opponents, breaking up play and getting forward on every occasion when afforded the space. And Nemanja Matic has flourished alongside the Frenchman, after seeing out a poor campaign last year.

The duo has been absolutely top-class in the middle of the park for the West Londoners and have become irreplaceable from the playing XI. So much so that the excellent Cesc Fabregas has had to make do with warming the benches more often than not. And the former Juventus and Italy manager has often opted to use another academy product, Nathaniel Chalobah, as the rotation option ahead of Loftus-Cheek.

Related image

With Premier League title in the sights and a return to European football a certainty, there is no doubt that a few more players will be added to the squad over the summer, with Conte’s favourite Radja Nainggolan still continues to be linked with a move to the Bridge. Any such move would put Loftus-Cheek further down the pecking order, hampering his chances of breaking into the first-team.

Borussia Monchengladbach have had a good relationship with Chelsea. Having signed Blues’ defender Andreas Christensen on loan 18-months ago, Gladbach have turned him into a great prospect. The Dane has established himself as one of the finest young defenders in Germany and is all set to return to Chelsea and be a part of the first-team under Conte in the summer, despite strong interest from his loan team to make the move permanent.

The German outfit, despite their struggles, have never shied down from backing young talent with hot prospects like Mahmoud Dahoud and Christoph Kramer – all growing in stature at the Borussia-Park along with the likes of Thorgan Hazard and Christensen himself.

Loftus-Cheek would benefit hugely from completing a move to Gladbach. The 21-year old has been heralded as one of the best players to have come through the Chelsea academy in recent times and has the potential and the talents to go on to become a huge star. Moving to the Borussia-Park will allow the Englishman to continue his development, in a side that plays good football and encourages youth talents. And with Mahmoud Dahoud’s future uncertain, amid links with a move to Liverpool and Barcelona, Loftus-Cheek will have a great opportunity to get regular playing time under his belt and will be greatly benefitted from the experience.

Considering all things relevant, it is not difficult to see that Loftus-Cheek is at a point in his career where he needs to be playing regularly to continue his progress. And with opportunities hardly being afforded at Chelsea, the Blues would be better off shipping him out to the German side so as to aide his development.