The summer transfer window has not yet formally opened, but that has not prevented many of Europe's biggest clubs from already making their lists as to who will go and who will stay for next season.
Over at Chelsea, a big overhaul has commenced, with Mauricio Pochettino keen on totally refurbishing the team in order to help the Blues back on track. To achieve this, the Argentinian tactician will be prepared to jettison a whole slew of players, and among those players, apparently, is Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The English international, who played for Chelsea's youth ranks for a decade before breaking into the first team in 2014, has found consistent first-team football hard to come by and in fact, spent two spells on loan with Crystal Palace and Fulham in the past few seasons. As such, the 27-year-old is reportedly keen on seeking other opportunities with his future at Stamford Bridge already over, and this is where, according to reports from Italy, AC Milan are sensing a huge opportunity.
The Rossoneri, who made it to their first Champions League semi-final in over a decade and won the Scudetto back in 2022, are looking for some midfield reinforcements as they again hope to challenge for titles in the 2023/24 campaign. Loftus-Cheek fits the bill, especially as they will need cover for key midfielder Ismael Bennacer who is expected to be out until late 2023 or possibly even early 2024 following a knee injury.
However, and as expected, both Milan and Chelsea are quite some ways apart when it comes to valuation of the player. The Blues are expecting at least $26.7 million, while Milan are hoping to not pay any more than approximately $21.3 million and have tabled an initial offer of approximately $16 million plus some add-on incentives.
