West Ham are holding back from making a move for Chelsea midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek as they have concerns over his injury record, according to the Daily Telegraph‘s Matt Law:

Story here – Villa sign Ross Barkley on loan #avfc #cfc https://t.co/vBDM4B45qF

— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) September 30, 2020

The 24-year-old spent almost a year on the sidelines with a serious Achilles injury and he will be allowed to leave Stamford Bridge on loan in order rediscover his form.

While Chelsea believe Loftus-Cheek is fully fit, the Hammers are not as convinced and they may well consider looking at other targets to strengthen their midfield before the transfer window closes.

It had been reported that the Blues were considering offering the midfielder, along with Antonio Rudiger, in their bid to sign Declan Rice but it’s highly unlikely that such an offer would be accepted.

If West Ham do press ahead with a deal that only involves Loftus-Cheek, they will have one less competitor to worry about with Aston Villa having signed Ross Barkley. The Villans can’t sign two players on loan from the same club.

The Irons only other rival for the Chelsea midfielder is Fulham but the Cottagers are thought to be focusing on signing a centre-back currently.