England manager Thomas Tuchel has vowed to only select players who perform regularly for the club, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek struggling for minutes at AC Milan.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek is considering leaving AC Milan in the January transfer window after struggling to make competitive appearances. Like many players, Loftus-Cheek has his sights set on next year’s World Cup and is reportedly weighing his options as the window approaches.
The 29-year-old midfielder left Chelsea for Milan in 2023 and has benefited overall from the move to Italy. However, they have fallen down the table in recent weeks under manager Max Allegri.
Milan intensified competition for positions in the summer by signing Luka Modric, Adrien Rabiot and Samuele Ricci, but Loftus-Cheek struggled. He has come on as a substitute in eight of his 12 Serie A appearances this season, and has started just one of the last 11.
Loftus-Cheek’s playing time has also been hampered by Milan’s absence from European competition this season and their withdrawal from the Coppa Italia. He knows he needs to play regularly for manager Thomas Tuchel to consider him for June’s World Cup, and Calciomercato reports that this has led to him potentially leaving the San Siro.
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Napoli and Lazio have been floated as possible destinations for the player, but a return to the Premier League has also been linked. His contract with Milan runs until June 2027, but a move to a rival is being considered.
Napoli are currently without Kevin De Bruyne, Stanislav Lobotka, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Billy Gilmour, leaving Antonio Conte short on midfield options. Conte has known Loftus-Cheek from his time at Chelsea and could encourage a reunion in the new year.
Loftus-Cheek’s desire to move is prompted by his desire to represent England in Canada, the United States and Mexico in the summer. The midfielder was a favorite of Tuchel during his 20 months in charge of the Blues between 2021 and 2022, but he knows he cannot rely on past relationships.
Tuchel has made it clear that he does not select teams based on reputation, having excluded big-name players based on their form in the past. Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold all missed out on selection in the World Cup qualifiers, and competition for midfield positions is fierce.
Loftus-Cheek has won 11 caps for England since making his debut in 2017 and was included in the squad for September and October. However, he missed the games against Serbia and Albania in November, leaving him behind Bellingham, Declan Rice, Elliott Anderson, Adam Wharton and Jordan Henderson in the standings.
Tuchel said last month, explaining why Arsenal left-back Myles Lewis-Skelly missed out on Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly. “Miles is a very good team-mate and played for us in our final World Cup qualifying camp in Riga, as did Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Morgan Gibbs-White and James Trafford.”
“But I said last time that there is an element of competition and performance to this and the door is always open for players who perform regularly and at a high level. Miles, Reuben and Morgan have performed better than Nico O’Reilly, Alex Scott, Nick Pope and Jude in their positions. Miles just needs more starts and more minutes.”
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