Ruben Loftus-Cheek exits after 19 years at Chelsea as Nicolas Jackson arrives from Villarreal
- Planet Sport writer
- 30 June 2023
Loftus-Cheek is leaving Stamford Bridge to head to Italy as another young prospect arrives from Spain.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek has completed a permanent move to AC Milan, even as Chelsea announced the signing of forward Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal.
The 27-year-old Loftus-Cheek joins Milan on a four-year deal running until June 2027.
His departure from Chelsea comes after 19 years with the club, having joined their academy in 2004.
He made 155 appearances for the Blues, scoring 13 times, and earned Premier League, Europa League and UEFA Super Cup winners' medals during his time there.
An impressive loan spell with Crystal Palace also saw Loftus-Cheek selected for the England squad who reached the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
However, he struggled for game time under successive managers during the second half of last season.
His move comes as part of several outgoings from Stamford Bridge recently, with N'Golo Kante and Kalidou Koulibaly among those joining sides in Saudi Arabia's Professional League.
There was also a new arrival announced on Friday, however, as Chelsea later confirmed the signing of forward Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal.
The 22-year-old has signed an eight-year contract with the Blues after scoring 12 goals in LaLiga last season.
The Senegal international began his career at Senegal Premier League side Casa Sports before moving to Villarreal in September 2019.
A successful season with the Spanish side saw him make 38 appearances in all competitions for the club and he was called up to represent Senegal at the World Cup.
Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley told the Chelsea website: "We are excited to welcome Nicolas to Chelsea. He is a young player with big potential, as he showcased for Villarreal last season.
"We believe he is ready for this next step in his career and look forward to him working with our new head coach, Mauricio Pochettino, and his Chelsea teammates."
Earlier this week, goalkeeper Edouard Mendy joined Saudi side Al-Ahli, while Arsenal completed the signing of midfielder Kai Havertz.
According to reports, Mason Mount is also set to depart after Manchester United agreed to sign the England midfielder for an initial £55million.
