Report: Chelsea's Maurizio Sarri Blocks West Ham's Approach for Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek will be denied the opportunity to join West Ham on loan until the end of the season by his manager Maurizio Sarri, according to reports.
The 22-year-old came into this season full of hope that he could finally make a name for himself at Stamford Bridge following an impressive spell with London rivals Crystal Palace, as well as strong performances at the World Cup for England.
Loftus-Cheek registered just over 30 minutes of Premier League action in Chelsea's opening nine matches, suggesting that it could be another frustrating season for the England international.
However, the midfielder truly announced himself to head coach Sarri by scoring a hat-trick during the club's Europa League group stage match against BATE Borisov, before finding the back of the net once again just three days later against Burnley.
It is this recent form which the Express claims has convinced Sarri of blocking any attempted loan move for Loftus-Cheek this season.
The Chelsea academy graduate was being tipped for another short hop across the capital to join West Ham until the summer after catching the eye of Manuel Pellegrini.
Pellegrini has been looking for reinforcements in midfield due to the form and mobility of the likes of Mark Noble, Jack Wilshere and Carlos Sánchez.
However, Sarri has told Chelsea's hierarchy that Loftus-Cheek won't be going anywhere this season after proving that he does have something to offer this current team.
Although Loftus-Cheek has only made six appearances across all competitions, the England international is sitting third in the club's goalscoring leaderboard this season, behind only Eden Hazard and Álvaro Morata.
