Ruben Loftus-Cheek has warned Chelsea he wants to quit the club after the World Cup if he is not a first-team regular.
‘I can’t stagnate and have another season on the bench. That’s the key for me next season regarding where I end up. I want to play,’ said the 22-year-old, who spent last season on loan at Crystal Palace after failing to establish himself at Stamford Bridge.
The midfielder’s words are certain to be taken seriously by the Stamford Bridge hierarchy as they continue to ponder yet another change of manager. Loftus-Cheek has already enhanced his burgeoning reputation in Russia with an impressive 10-minute cameo in England’s victory over Tunisia on Monday night.
He is in line for his first World Cup start against Panama in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday in place of Dele Alli, who is struggling with a thigh injury. However, Loftus-Cheek’s domestic future is less clear as the youngster deliberates his chances at Stamford Bridge.