OGC Nice have been offered the chance to sign Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, with the Ligue 1 outfit interested in a move on one condition.
Tiemoue Bakayoko could be finally set to leave Chelsea after five years at the club, with the 28-year-old piquing the interest of Nice, although the move is yet to be completed. That is according to French outlet Foot Mercato, which claims that Ligue 1 outfit Nice have been in talks with the agents of the French midfielder over the feasibility of a free transfer.
The 28-year-old was a huge signing for Chelsea back in 2017, arriving at Stamford Bridge from AS Monaco for £40 million. The Frenchman was signed to replace Nemajic Matic, but things have not gone as per plan for him. Bakayoko featured regularly in his debut season with the Blues, making 43 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals and lifting the FA Cup.
After that, though, everything fell apart for him in the Premier League, and he has not featured for Chelsea since the 2017/18 season, instead going out on a series of loans. He has spent consecutive seasons at AC Milan, Monaco, Napoli and then again at AC Milan, where he won the Serie A title last term but was on the fringes, making only 14 appearances.
The Frenchman, who is currently halfway through a two-year loan spell with AC Milan, has fallen out of favour under Stefano Pioli. And the Rossoneri chiefs are now keen to part ways and get his wages off their books, cutting his loan spell early. His loan arrangement contains a purchase obligation but will only get activated if he makes at least 15 appearances in the ongoing season, something the Italian outfit have no intention of doing.
Bakayoko is currently working to terminate both his contracts with Milan and Chelsea so he can join a new club as a free agent. Despite his underperformance and lack of action in recent years, he has no shortage of suitors.
Last month, Bakayoko allegedly reached an agreement with Marseille on personal terms for a four-year contract, but the move did not transpire. Newly-promoted Serie A side Monza are said to be leading the race to sign Bakayoko, while English clubs Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest are interested in offering him a route back to the Premier League.
Now, Nice are exploring the possibility of signing the French international, who still has two years left on his current deal at Stamford Bridge, on a Bosman transfer. Bakayoko’s parent club Chelsea would be more than happy to terminate his contract to facilitate his move back to Ligue 1.
The 28-year-old is now considering the offer on the table by Nice and could be return to the French Riviera in search of more playing time, with bilateral interest from both player’s agents and the Ligue 1 club to make a move happen.
