Chelsea management spoke to Ruben Loftus-Cheek before signing Ross Barkley.

Loftus-Cheek is currently on a season-long loan with Crystal Palace, where manager Roy Hodgson has declared he'd like to sign him permanently.

But he was told in advance by Chelsea that they were going to bring in Barkley, and that it wouldn't affect his long-term position at Stamford Bridge, says the Daily Mail.

And for his part, Loftus-Cheek has no current plans to leave Chelsea given the backing he's received.

His impressive form at Selhurst Park saw him called into the England squad last year, and he earned rave reviews after a man-of-the-match display against Germany.