Chelsea hold the key to Manchester United's dream summer transfer window as Ruben Loftus-Cheek begins to attract interest from the Serie A. Lazio are lining up a deal to sign the Cobham graduate at the end of the season, according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport.
The 26-year-old has featured 36 times across all competitions for Thomas Tuchel's side this season, directly contributing to six goals from the heart of midfield. Loftus-Cheek has often shown flashes of brilliance in a Chelsea shirt, but he's never quite reached the heights that he once enjoyed under Maurizio Sarri in 2019.
Loftus-Cheek's impressive displays have courted the interest of Lazio - so much so that the former Blues boss has made the England international his number one priority this summer with star man Sergej Milinkovic-Savic set to leave. The 27-year-old will leave the Sarri's side at the end of the season and the Italian giants want no less than €80m (£xxm) for the Serbia international, according to Calciomercato.
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The report claims that United and Pairs Saint-Germain are the leading contenders for Milinkovic-Savic's services. With the Serbian reportedly on his way out of Lazio and Loftus-Cheek eyed as a replacement, a deal could rely on whether Loftus-Cheek swaps Stamford Bridge for Stadio Olimpico.
Therefore, the west Londoners could hold the key to United's ability to sign the £42m-rated midfielder, as valued by CIES Football Observatory. However, despite reports linking Loftus-Cheek with a move away from Chelsea, Tuchel has made it his mission to 'unleash the monster' inside of the Blues midfielder, potentially throwing a spanner in the works.
"He needs to push himself to the limit; he needs to be physical," said the German boss. "Had a bit of a shy game against Arsenal, like everyone.
"A calm first-half against Crystal Palace and stepped up in the second half physically and with ball recoveries and dribbles. Suddenly the crowd was there too. This is what we demand from him. He is a calm person.
"He needs to discover this monster in him and unleash this on a regular basis because it is absolutely necessary. It is not enough to be just on the pitch. Maybe if you regard his last years, it may seem good because he is a regular but this is not enough. We cannot let him think it is enough, he needs to constantly push himself.
"We try every day and are quite successful given his development. He needs to understand how much potential he has and unleash this physical capacity on the daily. In training, he cannot let loose. He needs to be under pressure and play every game like a cup final."
