Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has reaffirmed his commitment to the club​ as he prepares to negotiate a new contract at Stamford Bridge.

There were fears that the England international would struggle for minutes on the pitch when he decided to battle for a place in the Blues team, rather than look elsewhere. However, he has made an admirable 38 appearances in all competitions under Maurizio Sarri and was outstanding during the first leg of the side’s Europa League semi final with Eintracht Frankfurt – a game which ended 1-1.

The 23-year-old grabbed the ​Blues’ only goal at the Commerzbank-Arena last week, whilst also netting in their latest​ ​Premier League fixture, a 3-0 victory over ​Watford. The strike against the Hornets takes Loftus-Cheek’s seasonal tally to nine, a respectable return for the youngster.

Speaking ahead of the return match against Frankfurt on Thursday, he said (as quoted by ​the Sun): “It’s looking good, so there’s no reason why I should think about leaving Chelsea.

“It is a good feeling to feel like an important player for the team. I had a chat with Maurizio Sarri when I came back from the World Cup as I wasn’t sure if I would go on loan again or not. It gave me confidence to go and play.

“I have won things with Chelsea and never felt like I have been a main player,” he continued. 

“But I played a lot of game time in the Europa League this season. It would definitely feel different. I feel like I have helped the team a lot.”

Loftus-Cheek’s desire to remain in west London is a timely boost for the Blues, who have been handed a transfer ban by FIFA for the two upcoming windows.

As result of the embargo, the club are looking to keep hold of the talent already within their squad, with the former ​Crystal Palace loanee expected to ​begin negotiations over a new contract once the season finishes.

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