European giants in advanced negotiations to sign Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek for €15m: Reports
Serie A giants AC Milan are edging closer to signing Ruben Loftus-Cheek from Chelsea for €15 million, according to Italian outlet Calciomercato.com.
Milan have been working on a deal to sign Loftus-Cheek, 27, from the Blues for several weeks. Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed last month that the Rossoneri are in concrete talks to acquire the England international.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are prepared to cash in on Loftus-Cheek this summer as they look to balance their books after spending over €700 million over the last two transfer windows. It emerged in May that the Premier League giants would sell the midfielder for €25 million.
The Italian club, for their part, have been hopeful of convincing the Blues to lower their asking price despite the Englishman being their top target to improve their midfield. Their efforts are set to prove fruitful as they are now in advanced talks over a €15 million deal, according to the aforementioned source.
Milan's bid to sign Loftus-Cheek hit a snag after the club removed Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara from their roles as technical director and sporting director respectively earlier this month. However, it appears that the pursuit is now back on track.
Loftus-Cheek rose through the ranks at Chelsea's academy before making his senior debut in their 3-1 home win against Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League in December 2014. He has since made 155 appearances across competitions for the club, bagging 13 goals and 18 assists.
The midfielder has helped the London giants win five trophies, including two Premier League titles. However, he has struggled to establish himself as a regular starter at Stamford Bridge despite playing under seven different managers.
Loftus-Cheek, meanwhile, could instantly become a key player for Milan next season. Sandro Tonali is set to join Newcastle United in a €70 million deal, while Brahim Diaz, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Aster Vranckx's loan deals end on June 30.
Chelsea are hard at work on offloading unwanted players
Chelsea will hope to bag €15 million from Ruben Loftus-Cheek's sale to AC Milan. It's worth noting that they have also made significant progress in offloading other unwanted players. According to multiple reports, the Blues have agreed to sell Kai Havertz to Arsenal for a deal worth over €75 million.
The London giants have also reached an agreement with Manchester City over a €35 million deal for Mateo Kovacic. Meanwhile, they have earned €23 million from Kalidou Koulibaly's move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. Mauricio Pochettino's side are expected to get a combined sum of €28 million from Edouard Mendy and Hakim Ziyech's transfers to Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr respectively.
Chelsea could generate a significant amount of money from Mason Mount's sale as well. They are prepared to sell the England international after it emerged that he doesn't intend to extend his deal beyond 2024. The Blues have already rejected three bids, with the latest worth around €65 million, from Manchester United.