Crystal Palace tried and failed to sign Ruben Loftus-Cheek this summer, with the Eagles hoping to bring the player back to the club on a second loan spell.
According to the Independent, Roy Hodgson has confirmed that Palace put an offer on the table to re-sign the player on loan, but the Blues wanted to keep hold of the young midfielder, who appears to be part of Maurizio Sarri’s plans.
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.
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.
It was 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.
Chelsea are now expected to keep him as a member of their first-team squad this season.
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.
