Ruben Loftus-Cheek has covered fewer kilometres than Mike Maignan through the first five matchdays of the season, a statistic that neatly captures where the Englishman stands at Milan heading into the final year of his contract.
The midfielder has been given opportunities by every coach he has worked under at the club, Ruben Amorim included, yet none has settled on him as a regular starter. Injuries, form dips, and competition for places have all played a part at different stages, and the pattern is repeating itself.
According to Calciomercato.com, Loftus-Cheek has run just 25.8 kilometres across those five rounds, fractionally less than Maignan's 25.9. Minutes played obviously factor into the comparison, but the contrast still stands out: a goalkeeper who rarely leaves his box is outpacing a midfielder whose role in Amorim's system demands constant movement.
Loftus-Cheek's contract expires next summer, and on current evidence there is little to suggest Milan will push to extend it. A free-agent return to England looks the likeliest outcome. From here, it is on Loftus-Cheek to change the calculation before the January window opens and the conversation shifts from renewal to exit.