Despite the Premier League transfer window closing on Thursday afternoon, there is still the opportunity for players to move away from the English top flight.
With the deadlines coming a few weeks later across the rest of Europe’s top leagues, continental sides can still make signings. It looks as though AC Milan are going to take advantage of that over the coming days as they are close to confirming a loan move for Tiemoue Bakayoko.
The deal is certainly a good one for both parties as the Frenchman will be afforded first-team football while the Italian giants will be benefitting from a midfielder that has shown his dependability and quality, during his time at Monaco. With Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic coming in over the summer, it means that a starting position would come at a premium for the 23-year-old so a chance to play some football will be an important factor.
Bakayoko’s first year at Chelsea was a major disappointment as he looked a shadow of the player that helped Monaco beat PSG to the Ligue 1 title. Despite failing to impress, the former Rennes midfielder started 24 top-flight matches and came off the bench to appear in five others which did make him a mainstay in what was a car crash of a campaign at times. The lack of chemistry between him and his fellow countryman, N’Golo Kante was apparent and could be put down to the similar playing styles of the French centre-midfielders.
Blues fans will be hoping that after 10 months away with AC Milan, if they don’t exercise the reported option-to-buy clause, that Bakayoko will return looking like the man that was worth £40 million just a year ago. Although, with the Italian side being offered to sign him permanently, it may mean that his short-lived spell with Chelsea will be cut short. It is understood that the player himself is upset by that after falling down Maurizio Sarri’s pecking order.
