December 17, (THEWILL) – Jose Mourinho wants to reunite with Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek as he continues the rebuilding process in Roma.
After spending last season on loan at Fulham, the 25-year-old has made his way back into Thomas Tuchel’s rotation, making 15 appearances so far this season. However, he is still not a first choice at Stamford Bridge, and Mourinho intends to offer him a path out of the English capital.
THEWILL recalls that Loftus-Cheek made his senior debut for Chelsea under the Portuguese in December 2014, during their Premier League title-winning season.
Tammy Abraham, who moved from Chelsea to Roma in the summer and is thriving in Serie A, has scored ten goals in 23 outings for the Giallorossi in all competitions and could be a foil in convincing Loftus-Cheek to make the switch to Italy.
The Portuguese manager is hoping that Abraham’s backing will succeed in persuading Loftus-Cheek that a transfer to Roma is the best option for him, although Roma are also interested in a number of other midfielders.
For instance, Mourinho is also interested in Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz, Hoffenheim’s Florian Grillitsch, Borussia Monchengladbach’s Denis Zakaria, and Bayern Munich’s Corentin Tolisso.
However, because Roma believe they will be priced out of these choices, they are concentrating the bulk of their efforts on Loftus-Cheek. They would rather take him on a short-term loan with the option to buy, while covering Loftus-Cheek’s £170,000-per-week salary.
So far, Mourinho’s first year at Roma has been a struggle. They currently sit sixth on the Serie A standings, eight points outside the top four.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
