Ruben Loftus-Cheek was the star for the England U-21 side in their 4-0 friendly thrashing of Denmark on Monday, despite making just eight appearances in all competitions for Chelsea this season.

The 21-year-old, who has often played as a deep-lying midfielder or in the centre, was deployed in a central attacking midfield role by Young Lions boss Aidy Boothroyd against the Danes, and he impressed by getting on the scoresheet twice with two fine finishes.

If he wants to further his international career, Loftus-Cheek will surely need to be playing more regular football in the future – something that doesn’t look likely at the current time with the Premier League leaders.

Given an opportunity, the midfielder has shown glimpses of being a very good player, and one that the likes of West Ham – who have endured a disappointing campaign themselves – should  be taking a closer look at as they put together their transfer plans at the end of the season.

Here are THREE reasons West Ham should sign this Loftus-Cheek…

He would bring energy

One of the Irons’ biggest problems in a disappointing campaign has been a general lack of energy and pace throughout the side, and that is something Loftus-Cheek could bring to the team.

The 21-year-old is a keen runner, is strong on the ball and would certainly give opposition defenders something to think about with his late surges into the box.

With captain Mark Noble not getting any younger and few options available to Slaven Bilic either in a deeper or attacking position in midfield, it seems like a no-brainer to offer the Chelsea outcast the chance of regular first-team football at the London Stadium.

Versatility

As we mentioned previously, Loftus-Cheek’s versatility would mean that he would prove to be a useful acquisition for West Ham this summer.

The 6ft. 3” star can play in a variety of roles all across the midfield, with his athleticism meaning that he is good enough to play in a defensive role, as a box-to-box player or as an attacking-minded playmaker.

The 21-year-old showed he can finish against Denmark, and that will surely have caught the attention of Bilic, whose side have struggled for goals from midfield this term.

England aspirations

Loftus-Cheek will know that despite his two-goal performance for the England U-21 side he will need to be performing regularly at club level if he is going to break into Gareth Southgate’s senior side.

With that seemingly unlikely to happen at Chelsea as it stands, the midfielder will know that he has to think about moving to another club – whether it be on loan or permanently.

With the World Cup just over a year away, the 21-year-old will also know that if he enjoys a successful season next term he could well be on that plane to Russia, and that is something that could motivate him even more if he did move to the London Stadium.