According to reports, Chelsea are hell bent on landing AS Monaco star Tiemoue Bakayoko this summer with the Italian manager desperate to see the new French sensation pairing alongside N’Golo Kante in the central midfield next season.
The Blues have been long-term admirers of the player since the start of the season and given how difficult the likes of Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Juventus will make the deal for Chelsea if they delay, they will have to be fast in securing the 22-year-old’s signature. Reportedly, Chelsea have already tabled a £32 million bid for the midfielder.
After the brilliant win over Everton, last week at Goodison Park, the Premier League title is more or less Chelsea’s to lose. The Blues have three comfortable fixtures remaining where Antonio Conte expect routine wins. The only way they bottle things up is losing two out of the three, which is a very distant possibility.
And going into the cherished European tournament next season, Conte would need sufficient depth on the bench to keep the performances intact. Midfield has been a concerning area for Chelsea this season with only three players available. Thanks to their poor finishing in the league last season, the club didn’t have a hectic schedule to maintain and Conte could do with the limited options.
It won’t be the same next season as we saw with Leicester City this year, and Chelsea are expected to face a slump in their league displays. That is exactly where Bakayoko comes into the equation. The dynamic midfielder has been Monaco’s spine this season, keeping them at the top of Ligue 1 table and helping them as one of the favourites in the Champions League semis.
Bakayoko is a youth product of French side Stade Rennais FC. He broke into their first team back in 2013, which was followed by some eye-catching displays. Monaco had wasted no time getting the star material in 2014 and their investment in him is paying off now.
Bakayoko has the perfect height at 184cm to cope with Premier League’s pace and strength. Alongside Kante, who is known for his exquisite work rate, he would only improve and his strength and aerial dominance could make Chelsea unstoppable.
His contract with Monaco expires in 2019 and if reports are to believed, then the player isn’t expected to extend his tenure with the side anymore. Monaco, in that case, will have to dispose of him this summer or the next and the earlier, the more money they would fetch.
