Crystal Palace have been told to do all they can to sign Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek on a permanent deal at the end of the season by BBC pundit Garth Crooks.
Writing in his BBC Sport Team of the Week, Crooks hailed Loftus-Cheek as the perfect replacement for the injured Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at this summer’s World Cup.
The first thing Roy Hodgson must do, above all else now Crystal Palace have secured their Premier League status, is sign Ruben Loftus-Cheek on a permanent basis. Chelsea do not appear to have the time or inclination to develop this talent any more than they did Kevin de Bruyne or Mohamed Salah.
Loftus-Cheek put in another excellent performance for Palace in midfield in a vital 2-1 away win at Stoke over the weekend.
The impressive showing helped Palace on their way to securing their place in the Premier League next season.
It is yet to be seen whether or not the player has a future at Chelsea, who will undoubtedly have taken notice of his form in the second half of the season.
With Antonio Conte set to leave Stamford Bridge this summer a change in manager may provide the perfect chance for him to return to his parent club and make a mark or possibly add more barriers in his way.
