Chelsea continue their pursuit of Monaco’s midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko as they will open negotiations with the French champions this week
According to a report by Daily Mail, Bakayoko has been on Chelsea’s radar for quite some time now, and the club will contact Monaco’s representatives by this week to negotiate a deal.
Monaco recently beat Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United in signing the highly sought-after Anderlecht midfielder Youri Tielemans, who can easily fill Bakayoko’s shoes if he signs on for Chelsea.
Bakayoko has played for several youth teams in his hometown Paris before joining Rennes in 2008. He then spent five years in their academy and was promoted to the B Team.
The Frenchman played 28 times for Rennes’ first team before a move to Monaco for £6.8million in 2014. Bakayoko made over 20 league appearances for the Ligue 1 champions this season and even scored for them twice.
Bakayoko has also been targeted by Manchester United and Liverpool as both clubs are looking to sign a quality midfielder. A move to the Premier League looks increasingly possible for the 23-year-old who recently ruled out a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
However, right now, it looks like Chelsea are the front-runners in signing Bakayoko after failing to sign Tielemans as Conte attempts to boost his squad in the midfield area.
The young midfielder is comfortable playing in a deep midfield role and is adept at using his physical strength to intercept attacks. Currently, N’golo Kante has established dominion over Chelsea’s midfield and Bakayoko will have to pair up with him on field.
If that pairing works, Chelsea’s midfield will possibly be one of the strongest. Kante is good at creating chances while Bakayoko can provide plenty of support while he’s at it. He is also good at tackling and has a strong attacking style of play which will delight the Blues’ fans.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have also shown interest in Chelsea’s Nemanja Matic, and if that move goes through, Bakayoko can be the ideal replacement.