OPINION
West Ham United boss Manuel Pellegrini may have said that he is not thinking about January signings just yet, but there is one player who he must make the exception for.
That player is Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
The Mirror have reported that the Hammers are after a loan deal for the talented star in January, but Maurizio Sarri is not as keen on the idea – even though the player has only made three starts in the Premier League this season.
Pellegrini needs to convince his rival manager to part ways with one of his assets as he has the ability to transform the Irons in an instant.
It remains to be seen why the Chelsea boss is so eager to keep the 6ft 3in [Transfermarkt] ace on the books, because his only other starts have come in the Europa League and in the Carabao Cup win over Derby.
It is unfair to subject him to lack of game time, especially at such a young age – and with the array of talent that the Blues currently have in their midfield, it is safe to say that Loftus-Cheek is going to struggle to get a look-in any time soon.
The ability of the barely-used Chelsea player was there for all to see when he was selected to be a part of the England squad in this summer’s World Cup – and with the absences mounting up in the middle of the park, the addition of Loftus-Cheek would come at the right time.
Pellegrini must pull out all of the stops to loosen Chelsea’s iron grip on the 22-year-old, as after all, he will be able to guarantee him more playing time than he is getting at the moment.
If anything, Chelsea are being rather greedy by refusing to let him leave temporarily – just have a look at how his spell at Crystal Palace improved him as a player.
