Ruben Loftus-Cheek was a wanted man this summer, but Chelsea refused to entertain a bid from Crystal Palace, according to Roy Hodgson.

As reported by The Independent, the Palace boss revealed that the club did everything in their power to try and bring the player back to Selhurst Park, but the Blues wanted the player in the first-team squad.

Steve Parish knows how much we would have liked to get him here again. It doesn’t surprise me that they’d rather keep him and not loan him out. We did all we could do.

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The England international joined the Eagles on a season-long loan deal last summer but saw his campaign hampered by injuries.

After a troubled season at Palace, Loftus-Cheek finished the campaign strongly, playing a key role in their bid to beat the drop.

His form for Palace in the final weeks of last season that saw him earn a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup in Russia.

It is yet to be seen if he will be a regular under Maurizio Sarri or not, but the Blues have been impressed with his development in recent months.

It has been claimed he could push for a move abroad before the end of the month if he does not start regularly under Sarri.

Will Loftus-Cheek earn a regular place at Chelsea?

Yes

No