Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been confirmed as the first new addition of the Frank de Boer era at Crystal Palace, with the Chelsea midfielder joining the Eagles on a season-long loan on Wednesday.
The England U21 international was limited to just six substitute appearances in the Premier League last season and revealed the chance of more regular first-team football was the driving force behind the move:
“I had the option of coming to Palace, and I thought that it would be great for me… I hope to play a lot more games and give everything I’ve got.”
De Boer, meanwhile, gave an insight as to where he believes Loftus-Cheek could fit into his plans:
“He is a technical and physical player, so after I looked at our squad I thought he could be a very helpful player for the team and gives us a quality injection. He’s an attacking midfielder obviously, but with his attacking ability, he could also be used as a sitting midfielder. We will have to see what is the best position for him and also what will be the best for the team.”
The History
Loftus-Cheek joined Chelsea’s academy at the age of eight, and progressed to be a key member of their successful youth teams.
He made his professional debut as a substitute against Sporting Lisbon in the UEFA Champions League in December 2014, with his Premier League bow following a month later.
He also made two starts during the final weeks of the season after the league title was wrapped up and earned rave reviews for his performance in the 1-1 draw against Liverpool when he boasted a 100% pass completion.
Following the sacking of Jose Mourinho, Loftus-Cheek gained favour under Guus Hiddink and ended the 2015/16 season having made 13 league appearances, managing one goal and one assist.
He also chalked up four matches in cup competitions, producing a further goal and two assists.
But with no European football last season, and few injuries for Blues boss Antonio Conte to deal with, Loftus-Cheek failed to make a single league start, although he did make five appearances in the FA Cup and League Cup, registering one assist.
Loftus-Cheek has represented England at U16, U17, U19 and U21 levels, and has impressively scored 13 goals in 27 outings for the U19s and U21s.
The Prospects
While Loftus-Cheek’s progress was halted last season, the move to Selhurst Park looks tailor-made to further his development.
Strong, athletic and with an eye for a pass, Loftus-Cheek was quick to point out his versitility when sealing his move to Palace:
“I’ve played in a number of positions over the past couple of years, but recently I’ve been playing as a number 10 for England and Chelsea. Last year I was also playing in a front three. In the academy, I was playing as a defensive midfielder, so I don’t mind playing wherever, as long as I’m playing.”
The fact he has played more of his football of late in a more advanced role is particularly promising from a Fantasy perspective.
While strong in the tackle, it’s Loftus-Cheek’s dynamism when driving forward from midfield that stands out.
In Yohan Cabaye and Jason Puncheon, Palace have solid technicians in the middle of the park, but Loftus-Cheek, who stands at 6ft 3in tall, certainly looks capable of adding a new dimension, primarily due to his height and power.
Having been brought up at Ajax, new Eagles boss de Boer is a firm advocate of the 4-3-3 system, although he is also adaptable in his tactical approach.
He has operated with a false nine as the central attacker and used central midfielders out wide, while at Inter Milan he trialled a 4-2-3-1, with his side averaging 30 crosses per match.
The versatile Loftus-Cheek could, therefore, play in a number of different positions, including anywhere in a two or three-man midfield, while he could also feature out wide in either formation or even as a false nine alternative to Christian Benteke.
It’s likely that Luka Milivojevic will start as the holding midfielder after his arrival in the January transfer window helped shore up that area of the pitch, leaving Loftus-Cheek competing with the likes of Cabaye, Puncheon and James McArthur in the middle of the park.
Given that De Boer will have two quality wide men at his disposal in Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, it’s probably less likely Loftus-Cheek will feature on either flank, though pre-season should provide some more definitive answers.
During the 2015/16 campaign, when Loftus-Cheek featured most prominently for Chelsea, he impressively averaged a shot every 34 minutes.
By comparison, Zaha only produced a goal attempt every 61.73 minutes last term, while the Chelsea loanee also bettered Townsend (45.16) and Cabaye (53.32).
While only a small sample size in Loftus Cheek’s case, the numbers, along with his goalscoring record for England U21s, are hugely promising bearing in mind that the 21-year-old has been handed a meagre 4.5 price tag in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and just 7.3 in Sky Sports.
Palace’s opening fixtures are also a cause for optimism.
They begin the campaign at home to newly-promoted Huddersfield Town, while their next four matches (liv, SWA, bur, SOT) are generally favourable.
As a result, there has already been plenty of excitement regarding the prospects of Loftus-Cheek as a cheap fifth midfield option.
While his progress may have stalled at Chelsea, he has shown enough during his fleeting appearances that he should be able to thrive in the Premier League.
Loftus-Cheek is only three months older than Tottenham Hotspur’s Dele Alli, for example, and if afforded the pitch-time that the Spurs star has enjoyed, he has the potential to offer almost untouchable value.
His ownership has already gone beyond 14.6% in FPL, making him the most popular 4.5-priced midfielder in the game.
Fantasy managers will be paying close attention to De Boer’s teamsheets and tactics during pre-season then, and should Loftus-Cheek impress and get plenty of minutes, his ownership will continue to soar.
This time last year it was Watford’s Etienne Capoue who caught our eye playing in an advanced midfield role, and it could be that Loftus-Cheek follows a similar path this time around.
The only caveat would be the impact on Zaha as an option.
Priced at 7.0 for the new season and 9.3 in Sky Sports, the Ivorian international will be cited by some as a potential bargain. He will be expected to build on his 2016/17 return of seven goals and 11 assists.
We could elect to recruit two Palace assets and, should De Boar make improvements, that may appeal. However, if Loftus-Cheek is established in an attacking role, the value he offers could calm interest in Zaha.
No other midfielder in the budget price bracket offers the same potential upside as Loftus-Cheek, and providing his starting berth is assured, he would offer an irresistible “enabler” to help free up precious funds.
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