Chelsea can’t miss the chance to sell Tiemoue Bakayoko to Everton

Chelsea’s Tiemoue Bakayoko has failed to take advantage of his chance this preseason. While there are still suitors, the Blues need to sell.

“Oh ee oh, Tiemoue Bakayoko! Oh ee oh, together with N’Golo! Oh ee oh, he never gives the ball away!”

Or at least that is what the Chelsea fans hoped to sing when Tiemoue Bakayoko signed for Chelsea in Antonio Conte’s final season. Sadly, the chant turned out to be no more than false advertising, with Bakayoko turning out to be rather bad at doing what he was brought in to do.

A year out on loan at AC Milan allowed the French midfielder to rebuild his reputation, so much so that Paris Saint-Germain were rumored to be sniffing around him with a view to a permanent deal. That move never materialized, as someone in Paris snapped out of their trance and signed a better, if slightly older, player in Idrissa Gueye from Everton. That leaves the door open for Everton to make a move for Bakayoko who would, undoubtedly, love to stumble awkwardly through it and end his Chelsea nightmare.

Although there are still some people who believe Bakayoko deserves another crack, his preseason performances have not done anything to convince the doubters.

More importantly, though, they do not seem to have convinced the Chelsea manager, Frank Lampard. Oh, that feels so good to type.

Anyway, it appears that Bakayoko’s days at Chelsea are numbered. Even though there is a whiff of unfulfilled potential still lingering around him, it is abundantly clear that he will not realize that potential at Chelsea. In fact, it would not be outlandish to suggest that perhaps the Premier League is not the best place for him to flourish.

But do not allow that little nugget to get in the way when Everton come calling. After all, Chelsea has bought plenty of players over the years who turned out to be utterly useless or simply incapable of coping with the rigors of the Premier League. And besides, it is Everton.

The suits over at Goodison Park probably still put on a smug face and look in the mirror every morning to reminisce about how they screwed Chelsea over on the John Stones and Romelu Lukaku deals.

And then they realize how Chelsea snatched Ross Barkley off them for just £15 million and go back to crying in their corn flakes.

Nevertheless, it is time to put old grudges to one side and make a deal with the Toffees again. And this time, Chelsea should try to extract every penny we can get, which means no talks unless Everton come up with at least £40 million for Bakayoko. And no returns either. And Chelsea should add a sell on clause for good measure.

Tiemoue Bakayoko was a good idea at the time, but it has all gone badly wrong. Rather than keep a depreciating asset on the Chelsea bench and continue to pay his wages, the smart thing would be to move him on this summer. He is clearly not up to snuff, he is not rated by the new manager and the Blues have plenty of midfielders already. And finally, unlike Danny Drinkwater, he is not homegrown and does not have a memetastic last name that would drive social media engagement.

Tiemoue Bakayoko, as sad as it may seem, it is time to say goodbye.