West Ham United have made a mediocre star to their Premier League campaign picking up just 1 victory from 11 games this season. A number of injuries to star players has had its effect on the squad and Bilic will feel hard done by losing some of his main players even before the start of the season. Though he will get a few players back in action in the next few weeks, the manager has been on the look out for some additions in January and Chelsea’s Ruben-Loftus Cheek is the new name on the January wish-list at the Olympic stadium.
Troubled with back and hamstring injuries , the 20, year old has made just three appearances at the Stamford Bridge in all competitions and without European football or the League Cup in their calendar, Chelsea are now ready to let him go on loan this January. West Ham United, who want to add some quality to their squad are pondering over a move for the midfielder but what will he add to the Hammers?
Loftus-Cheek is one of the most exciting players to graduate from the Chelsea academy and he has already made 26 senior appearances for the side. Tall, strong, powerful and dominating are a few words that describe what the 20-year old is as a player. He is a strong dribbler who takes on his man with confidence but his biggest strength is the accuracy in his passing.
A natural deep-lying midfielder, Loftus-Cheek loves to lay back and invite the opponent before stealing the ball and setting his team on the attack picking his player with insane accuracy. He has already shown that he can prosper in the midfield in the Premier League and West Ham will know that he will surely improve their options in the midfield.
Mark Noble, who was exceptional in the previous season, has been a shadow of himself this season and has been unable to provide the kind of energy he used to for the Hammers. Pedro Obiang has been superb in the midfield role while Havard Nordtveit, Sofiane Feghouli and Gokhan Tore can all play on either side of the midfield but Bilic has very few options if he wants to deploy an outright defensive midfielder in games this season.
Loftus-Cheek has very little chance of any game time under Antonio Conte and is better off with a loan spell away from the club. Reports suggest that Chelsea have no intention of selling him and that his loan deal will not have a buy-out clause so it will be important for the 20-year old to chose the right place to play his football for the rest of the season. Playing for West Ham, Loftus-Cheek will not start several game in the midfield, but with the squad currently unsettled, a couple of good performances might see Bilic use him for an extended time. So it is best for both parties that Ruben Loftus-Cheek makes the switch to cross-town rivals in West Ham.