It’s true that no two deals are ever the same, and Chelsea do an incredible job of taking advantage of so many little things here and there to maximise their profit in the transfer market.
Tiemoue Bakayoko has been expected to leave all summer as he’s never going to get a proper run of competitive games, and it appears that he will return to AC Milan on loan, but the deal is far from straightforward:
Chelsea's deal with AC Milan for Bakayoko is quite complex.
Two year loan, Chelsea contract extended until 2024 but certain conditions can be met to make it a 20m euro obligation transfer. @GoalNews #CFC #ACMilan
— Nizaar Kinsella (@NizaarKinsella) August 26, 2021
Extending his contract is important as it prevents him from signing a pre-contract agreement in the final year of the loan agreement, while it’s also not clear what the conditions are to turn that option into the obligation for the €20m transfer.
You have to think that the amount of appearances will be the most obvious one, but it’s also possible that Milan will have insisted on it being dependant on them being a Champions League side to ensure they have the finances to make it happen.
Bakayoko didn’t live up to the hype after arriving from Monaco but he has seen some success with Milan in a loan spell a couple of years ago, so let’s hope he’s able to recapture his best form and goes on to have a good couple of seasons in familiar surroundings.