Chelsea are reportedly on the verge of sending midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko to AC Milan on loan, with a move even being touted to be done by Saturday.
The 23-year-old only joined the Blues last summer off the back of an impressive stint with Monaco, but he failed to replicate that form at Stamford Bridge last year.
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Having struggled to establish himself in Antonio Conte’s plans as a reliable figure in midfield, with the arrivals of Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic this summer with new boss Maurizio Sarri set to implement a new style of play at Chelsea, it will likely lead to Bakayoko falling further down the pecking order.
In turn, according to The Mirror, aside from the suggestion that the player himself is said to be ‘disappointed’ about being shipped out, it’s claimed that his loan move to Milan could be confirmed as early as Saturday.
With the Italian giants playing in a pre-season friendly against Real Madrid, it remains to be seen whether or not such a deal will take place over the weekend, with Chelsea also facing their first competitive game of the season with a trip to Huddersfield.
With that in mind, it seems more likely that if a deal goes through it will happen next week, but the Mirror claim that it’s imminent.
Although he seemingly doesn’t fit into Sarri’s plans this season with Jorginho and Kovacic set to offer the technical quality and creative class along with the mobility needed to flourish in the Italian’s system and approach, Bakayoko could be a key addition for the Rossoneri.
To either play alongside Franck Kessie or as an alternative, he will undoubtedly add solidity and a calming influence in front of the backline for Gennaro Gattuso, should a loan move be completed.