Transfer News: AC Milan to hold talks with Chelsea for Tiemoue Bakayoko
According to Sky via MilanLive (h/t football.london), the representatives of AC Milan and Chelsea have scheduled a meeting to discuss the future of Tiemoue Bakayoko this summer.
The report adds that the midfielder is highly unlikely to stay in London and ‘will almost certainly’ return to Italy. On top of that, Napoli are also keen to re-sign the midfielder after a loan spell last season.
The 26-year-old France international could extend his contract at Stamford Bridge if the Blues are to be open to sending him out on loan with an option to buy. Things have not gone to plan for Bakayoko at Chelsea so far.
He signed for the Blues from AS Monaco for a sizeable £40million fee back in 2017. But after one season, it has been a story of successive loan spells in France and Italy.
Bakayoko to return to Italy?
In that time, he has spent temporary spells at AC Milan, Monaco, and Napoli respectively. It is clear that the former Rennes midfielder does not have an immediate future at Stamford Bridge.
Thomas Tuchel has a sturdy stable of first-team midfielders. N’Golo Kante, Jorginho, and Matteo Kovacic all share game time in the central midfield areas.
In fact, so sure is Tuchel of his midfield options that Billy Gilmour has been allowed to leave on a loan spell to Norwich City while Conor Gallagher has temporarily joined Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace.
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Amid this, it is hard to see where Bakayoko fits in the former PSG manager’s plans. He has enjoyed a comparatively good time in Serie A and a return to Bel Paese could well be what he needs to re-ignite his career.