Corentin Tolisso takes Tiemoue Bakayoko’s place in Chelsea midfielder transfer rumours
By George Perry
AS Monaco supposedly want Michy Batshuayi as part of any deal for Tiemoue Bakayoko. Batshuayi is more than Chelsea are willing to pay, so the transfer rumour mill comes through with a thoroughly dissimilar French midfielder: Lyon’s Corentin Tolisso.
Chelsea’s transfer rumour mill is strangely insistent that the Blues will sign a French midfielder, and that Ligue 1 sides demand a Chelsea player in return. AS Monaco’s insistence on Chelsea including Michy Batshuayi in any offer for Tiemoue Bakayoko is the latest sign that they are playing hardball with the top clubs, and possibly losing.
The Batshuayi element is one aspect of Chelsea’s mounting frustration with Monaco. The Blues are also tired of dealing with multiple intermediaries throughout the negotiations. Reports do not specify if the intermediaries are from Monaco or are Bakayoko’s representatives.
Monaco recently rejected a bid from Manchester City for Benjamin Mendy, as well as a suppoesd £87 million bid from Arsenal for Kylian Mbappe. Monaco are demanding no less than £40 million for their top players, and value Mendy at £43 million.
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That implies that they may ask £50 million or more for Bakayoko, plus a Michy Batshuayi loan. Chelsea may very well loan Batshuayi next season. If the Blues purchase another top striker and Diego Costa remains, the Belgian will continue to receive paltry playing time.
However, a Premier League loan would be a much better option if Chelsea sees a future for Batshuayi at the club. Batshuayi would be a strong addition to Monaco. But that would not prepare him as well for a role at Chelsea as a loan to West Ham, for example.
If Chelsea are going to spend £50 million on a midfielder they should simply add £20 million and secure Marco Verratti. Tiemoue Bakayoko has many of the qualities Chelsea need in a midfield partner for N’Golo Kante. The two would give Antonio Conte one of the most dynamic midfields the Premier League has seen in years. However, Bakayoko is scarcely worth £50 million, particularly given who Chelsea has and can obtain.
With the Bakayoko deal becoming unlikely, Corentin Tolisso entered the rumour fray. However, Tolisso is not an either-or proposition with Bakayoko.
The Lyon midfielder is a more limited player than Bakayoko. He has a similar profile to Cesc Fabregas, with the same strengths (creative passing) and weaknesses (defence). Tolisso would not provide the defensive cover necessary to be a replacement for Nemanja Matic. He would not open up new options for N’Golo Kante. Nor would he be likely to start or even make many appearances as a substitute since he would be competing with Cesc Fabregas coming off of a stand-out year.
Lyon are also supposedly demanding a Kurt Zouma loan as part of any deal for Tolisso. The Blues have a surplus of centre-backs, and Kurt Zouma has an uphill battle to earn playing time. But a loan to Ligue 1 will not help Zouma’s progression at Stamford Bridge any more than it will for Michy Batshuayi.
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Corentin Tolisso does not meet any of Chelsea’s needs, and is redundant with a current player who should be secure in his place next season. However, he is openly exploring a transfer from Lyon. That is more than enough to make him rumour fodder this time of year, but little more than that.