Reports are emerging that Manchester United are on their way to gazumping another Chelsea target by clinching a deal for AS Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko. The 22-year-old was on the verge of joining Chelsea subject to a medical. The London club would be somewhat to blame if Bakayoko is unveiled as a United player in the coming days.
Manchester United were interested in signing Nemanja Matic from Chelsea in a £40m deal, but the consternation caused due to the Lukaku saga made the London club reevaluate their option to sell the Serbian to United, causing them to look elsewhere. Although without having received any official confirmation on the matter, it would be hard to say for sure whether or not the deal has already been finalised.
The 22-year-old midfield dynamo said to have been sorted out by former Real Madrid and Chelsea player Claude Makelele, after reports of friction between him and Leonardo Jardim owing to the player’s attitude, really burst onto the scene last season buoyed by AS Monaco’s superlative performances last season.
Heavily featuring in AS Monaco’s campaign last season, resulting in a Ligue 1 triumph, the player also boasts of valuable Champions League pedigree at a very tender age, showing maturity beyond his years against the who’s who of Europe.
All of 22, the player has a near perfect technique while going in for a tackle, which one doesn’t get to see much of, due to his equally impressive ability to intercept the ball, negating the need for a tackle. The Frenchman, standing at 184cm, is surprisingly nimble-footed on the ball and can dribble his way out of trouble if the need arises.
Subject to a £35m bid from both Chelsea and Manchester United, the player’s quality is too overwhelming to keep him on the bench at both these teams, with the current crop of players that the clubs boast. Chelsea was prepared to let go of Matic in favour of the 22-year-old but it remains to be seen who finally ends up with the player.
It is all but confirmed that Bakayoko is on the move this season. A move to the Premier League would naturally represent a step up of sorts. On the face of it, Bakayoko seems more suited to Chelsea’s system and going by his erratic ways, he could really benefit from Antonio Conte’s tutelage. The 47-year-old Italian is more of a teacher than a manager, excelling particularly in the coaching aspect of the job. He could help the Frenchman do away with his inconsistent ways by hammering in his ideas repeatedly. He is not called Il Martello or ‘the hammer’ for no reason.
Jose Mourinho can be as subtle as an air horn going by his treatment of Luke Shaw last season. He can pressure the player into exerting himself for the team which can end up alienating or reintegrating the player depending on his mental capacity to deal with the famous ‘Mourinho mind games’.
As the story unfolds, Bakayoko’s next destination is still rife with speculation, awaiting official confirmation. The 22-year-old irrespective of which club he ends up at looks set upon a big career, under the right management.
