Milan-bound Ruben Loftus-Cheek will cross paths with Maurizio Sarri in Serie A after scoring 10 goals in 40 appearances under the Italian tactician at Chelsea.
The English midfielder is expected to land in Italy this evening and have his medical with the Serie A giants on Thursday, completing a transfer worth circa €21m.
It’s the first time that RLC leaves in England in his career, but he worked with two Italian tacticians at Chelsea, first Antonio Conte and then Maurizio Sarri.
Loftus-Cheek only made 11 appearances under Conte, joining Crystal Palace on loan in 2017-18. Sarri, on the other hand, was arguably the most influential coach in his career as the 27-year-old scored 10 goals in 40 appearances under the Tuscan boss, winning the Europa League in 2018-19.
He played 17 games as a starter and was subbed on 23 times.
He collected more appearances only under Thomas Tuchel, 46, but managed just one goal with the German coach in charge.
It’s no secret that Sarri is a long-time admirer of Loftus-Cheek and his Lazio side have been linked with signing RLC for a long time but Milan eventually had the money to complete his signature following Sandro Tonali’s sale to Newcastle United.
Serie A 2023-24 will kick off on August 20, 2023, and finish on May 26, 2024. The fixture list will be unveiled in the coming weeks.