Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the former Chelsea midfielder, has opened up about who persuaded him to depart from Chelsea and join AC Milan.
Loftus-Cheek spent nine seasons at Chelsea, including loan spells at Crystal Palace and Fulham.
During his time at Stamford Bridge, the 27-year-old struggled to secure a spot in the first team, making 155 appearances across various competitions, with 13 goals and 18 assists to his name.
However, over the summer transfer window, Loftus-Cheek made the move to AC Milan in a €16 million deal.
Since joining AC Milan, Loftus-Cheek has had a promising start, providing two assists in three Serie A games and starting in all three matches.
Regarding his decision to leave Chelsea for the Italian giants, Loftus-Cheek simply stated that AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli convinced him to make the switch.
“After playing against them in the Champions League, Milan expressed their interest in signing me. At the time, I didn’t pay much attention to it,” revealed Loftus-Cheek in an interview with DAZN (via Football 365).
“There was still a significant part of the season remaining at Chelsea, but things changed towards the end. Milan has always been a fantastic club, and after speaking with [Stefano] Pioli, I was persuaded to come here.
“He wants me to exhibit physical dominance in midfield. One of my strengths is my ability to outmuscle opponents with my strength, speed, and power.
“It’s something I rely on heavily and contributes to my overall performance as a player. The more I can showcase that on the pitch, the more influential I can be in helping the team,” Loftus-Cheek added.
After three games, AC Milan is currently slightly behind their city rivals Inter Milan at the top of the Serie A table on goal difference.
