AC Milan ‘begin talks with Chelsea to sign out-of-favour midfielder
AC Milan have reportedly opened the bidding for Chelsea midfielder, Tiemoue Bakayoko, who is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.
The Frenchman was signed amid huge expectations from Monaco in the summer of 2017 for £40million but failed to establish himself as a consistent first-team performer.
As such, he spent the 2018-19 season on loan at Milan and this season on loan at ex-club Monaco, but now the Serie A side want to bring Bakayoko in again, with a £2.6m (€3m) loan deal with a £31m (€35m) option to buy offer submitted, according to Sky Sport Italia.
The report details that the 25-year-old himself is keen on a return to Milan this summer.
With the prospect of Declan Rice signing at Chelsea on the horizon, as well as a packed midfield currently, Bakayoko would struggle for first-team football under Frank Lampard next season and looks set to move on – whether that be another loan or a permanent switch away.
Bakayoko was brought in by Antonio Conte three years ago, and played 43 games during his first season with the club and, despite struggling to adapt to the Premier League, won an FA Cup winners’ medal.
But Conte’s successor Maurizio Sarri didn’t include the midfielder in his plans and he was allowed to join Milan on loan for the 2018-19 season.
Despite the Italians paying a £4.5m loan fee, they didn’t trigger the option to make permanent their signing for £32m last summer.
Lampard then replaced Sarri but didn’t bring Bakayoko back into the fold, sending him out on loan to Monaco.
But he failed to live up to expectations in the curtailed Ligue 1 season and Monaco turned down the chance to sign him a second time for £37.5m.
read also:Chelsea lower asking price for AC Milan target Bakayoko
Despite having two years of his £100,000-a-week contract left to run, there appears to be no way back at Chelsea and the club are prepared to cut their losses.
It is quite the fall from grace for Bakayoko, who was so impressive in the Monaco side which won Ligue 1 in the 2016-17 season and also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.