Chelsea are reportedly edging closer to securing a deal with AC Milan which would see Tiemoue Bakayoko leave the club on another initial loan move.
The 26-year-old joined the Blues in 2017 and made 43 appearances in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge to suggest that he could be a key player for them moving forward.
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However, he was sent out on loan to Milan for the 2018/19 campaign before re-joining former club Monaco on another temporary deal last season, with Chelsea seemingly going in a different direction in midfield.
Having returned to west London this summer, it appears as though Bakayoko is on the verge of leaving again, as Calciomercato report that Chelsea and Milan are edging closer to reaching an agreement.
It’s suggested that a deal could be done in the next 48 hours which would see the French midfielder join the Rossoneri on a loan deal with an option to buy, which could be for between €30m and €32m.
Time will tell if the optimism is warranted and if that timeline will hold up, but ultimately the move makes a lot of sense for all concerned.
If Bakayoko isn’t going to feature in Frank Lampard’s plans, it allows the Blues boss to get his wages off the books and perhaps bring in a midfielder better suited to his ideas, while Bakayoko will avoid a lack of playing time and sitting on the bench next season.
Further, Milan know what he can offer after his impressive previous loan spell, and so he has already shown that he can adapt and settle in Italy, while showing quality on the pitch which earned him the move to Chelsea in the first place.
With a lack of quality depth in midfield beyond Ismael Bennacer and Franck Kessie, it’s an addition that will surely be seen as a major boost for coach Stefano Pioli, and so time will tell if Bakayoko joins up with the rest of the Milan squad for pre-season training this week as he looks set to seal yet another temporary exit from the Blues.