Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek has joined Fulham in a season-long loan, report David Ornstein, Peter Rutzler and Liam Twomey.
The Athletic revealed on Monday night that the 24-year-old was having a medical ahead of making the move across west London. The move was confirmed after midnight on Tuesday.
Fulham have also sealed a deal for Tosin Adarabioyo, who joins from Manchester City.
Why does a move to Fulham work for Loftus-Cheek?
Quite simply, Loftus-Cheek needs to play football.
That horrendous achilles injury in May 2019 derailed his career just as he was establishing himself in Chelsea’s midfield.
Moving to Fulham will give him the opportunity to play regularly in the Premier League.
Why are Chelsea letting him go?
Chelsea's spectacular spending spree in this window has created too much midfield competition for Frank Lampard to be able to guarantee him the minutes he needs to regain his rhythm.
Lampard has been open in recent days about his view that Loftus-Cheek would be best served by going elsewhere for now — though he is adamant that the 24-year-old’s long-term future is at Stamford Bridge. Not even Ross Barkley’s departure for Aston Villa shifted that stance.
Chelsea and Lampard will hope now that Loftus-Cheek plays regularly for Fulham and starts to feel like the hugely talented footballer he is again.
How important a signing is this for Scott Parker?
Loftus-Cheek will bring undoubted quality to a team that quite evidently needs competition if they hope to survive in the Premier League this year.
Their opening results have illustrated the gulf that exists between the promotion winning squad and what may be needed for Premier League success. Fulham are already well-stocked in central areas, with Mario Lemina, Harrison Reed and the returning Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa already improving that area of the team.
Fulham will hope Loftus-Cheek can repeat the form he showed on loan at Crystal Palace three years ago, and have the impact that fellow Chelsea loanee Barkley has already had at Aston Villa.
There is no doubting his quality, and for a team that needs something of a creative boost as much as defensive solidity, his arrival could well be one of the club's most important of the window so far.
Have Fulham had a good window?
Fulham have managed to address the areas that needed support, in the end.
Deadline day moves for Adarabioyo and Joachim Andersen certainly have eased the tension that had mounted over the course of the window, particularly as the team struggled defensively once their Premier League campaign began.
But in other areas, Fulham have recruited well, particularly at full-back, while keeping hold of Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is another key plus point. With Loftus-Cheek added to the mix, there has certainly been additions of quality.
Whether it can be seen as a successful window will depend on the impact their new additions have in the coming weeks ahead.
(Photo: Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)