Ben Guest
Tiemoue Bakayoko is set for a swift Chelsea exit with reports in Italy claiming he is close to joining AC Milan.
Bakayoko only arrived at Chelsea last summer, making a £40 million move from Monaco where he has helped the Ligue 1 club to their first title in 17 years.
He was one of a number of high profile departures from the principality club that summer, moving to Stamford Bridge as a replacement for Nemanja Matic who left for Manchester United for a similar fee, with many thinking that Chelsea had by far got the better deal.
However, his first season at the club would seemingly be a bit of a disaster, and according to reliable Italian journalist Gianluca di Marzio, he is due to have a medical before completing a move to AC Milan:
“Tiemoue Bakayoko is ready to become a new player of Milan,” he wrote on his website
“Only the latest details are missing, with the Ivorian ready to leave in the next hours.
“The medical visits are in the day tomorrow in case of an arrival in the evening.”
Having signed midfielders Jorginho and Matteo Kovacic this summer, new Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri told reporters before his side’s 3-0 win over Huddersfield that his squad is ‘too large.’
“Now I think the squad is too large,” said Sarri.
“Some players have to go on loan. I don’t know who at the moment.
“I prefer to have 23 or 24 players and three or four very young players. No more.”
It is thought that the deal to take the Frenchman to the San Siro will be a season-long loan which will include a €35 million (£31m) option to buy.