ALVISE CAGNAZZO: Ruben Loftus-Cheek can become a star for AC Milan as positive early signs show his £18.5m move from Chelsea is a BARGAIN… and he is already filling the void left by Sandro Tonali
- Ruben Loftus-Cheek has had a positive early start to his career with AC Milan
- The Englishman completed an £18.5million move from Chelsea this summer
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Chelsea, are you sure you made the right decision to to sell Ruben Loftus-Cheek? His first appearances during pre-season with AC Milan will raise many doubts for the Blues who decided to sell the midfielder for only £18.5m and in-turn losing one of the symbols of their academy.
The 27-year-old is already proving he possesses great physical strength and dynamism in midfield. He’s a strong and technical player who seems to balance a team that, for strategic reasons, will be much more inclined to attack than defend.
Loftus-Cheek is certainly one of the players who impressed the most during the summer.
Chelsea never fully believed in his qualities, despite former manager Maurizio Sarri seeing him as a key player for the club during his time in London.
During his 20-year association with Chelsea there has simply been too much competition and too many injuries that saw him struggle to gain consistent opportunities.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is already making an impact at his new home in the form of AC Milan
The Englishman is hoping to revive his career after leaving Chelsea for £18.5m this summer
Serie A is a slower division than the Premier League and Loftus-Cheek could be able reignite his career and become a protagonist again as has happened to team-mates Olivier Giroud and Fikayo Tomori after leaving Chelsea.
AC Milan chose him to change their midfield as they attempt to mount a Serie A title challenge and Loftus-Cheek can thrive playing in all positions depending on the formation chosen by Pioli.
Loftus-Cheek vs Sandro Tonali
Sandro Tonali’s debut in Premier League was fantastic as he scored Newcastle’s opening goal of the new season, but Loftus-Cheek’s first steps in the new Rossoneri reality were also excellent.
Unlike the Newcastle midfielder, the Englishman seems to have a greater ability to adapt to the Milan reality.
It took Tonali a long time to become a key pillar of the club and only after 24 months of hard work did he manage to become an icon.
Stefano Pioli, Rossoneri CEO Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada – his right-hand man on the market – are on the rise and the Loftus-Cheek deal demonstrates how it is possible to make excellent purchases without exceeding the £20 million barrier.
Loftus-Cheek scored three goals in a pre-season friendly against ESS Etoile earlier this month
Loftus-Cheek (left) is already filling the void left by new Newcastle star Sandro Tonali (right)
Tonali was not immediately considered a star player, while for Loftus-Cheek, Pioli has very clear ideas – he is already the team’s absolute protagonist in midfield together with Tijjani Reijnders.
Compared to Tonali, who joined Milan from Brescia, the English golden boy certainly has more international experience and with the right training he can be a top player in Serie A.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s hat-trick against ESS Etoile in a pre-season friendly marked a great start but also demonstrated how he is trying to improve on his weaknesses.
In his last Premier League campaign with Chelsea, Loftus-Cheek scored no goals in 25 matches and this is something that needs to be improved for him to thrive in Serie A.
