Chelsea are finally also working to offload some players at the club. Chelsea have been proactive when it comes to new signings in the January transfer window. Now, the focus should also remain on clearing the deadwood at the club. Chelsea’s forgotten man Tiemoue Bakayoko seems to be on his way out of the club.
Bakayoko was signed in the summer of 2017 from AS Monaco for £40 million. Bakayoko was one of the shining stars of the Monaco squad that won the 2016 Ligue 1 and reached the UEFA Champions League semi finals. The Frenchman was the backbone of the midfield, swallowing the opposition attackers and spitting their bones out. He was sound defensively and excelled at winning the ball back.
He was expected to be of great help to N’Golo Kante and together they could have forged a sturdy partnership. However, Bakayoko miserably failed in his first season at Stamford Bridge. So much so, that he was sent out on loan to AC Milan in 2018. The Frenchman has spent majority of his Chelsea career out on loan, playing for Monaco, Milan and Napoli in the process.
Milan took Bakayoko on a two year loan deal in 2021 but the player has struggled to make way into the first team plans. Last season, the 28 year old made a total of 18 appearances. It has gone from bad to worse for Bakayoko this season as he has not made a single appearance for Milan.
Chelsea close to offloading Tiemoue Bakayoko on a permanent basis
Stefano Pioli seems to be unimpressed by the Frenchman and does not count on him, leaving the whole loan with an option-to-buy deal in jeopardy. Bakayoko is still contracted at Chelsea till 2024 but there are no intentions to facilitate his return to London.
According to Metro, Bakayoko will finally leave Chelsea on a permanent basis as the Blues and Turkish club Adana Demirspor have reached an agreement for a transfer. However, the player is yet to agree to personal terms with Demirspor.
CFC were previously exploring the idea of terminating the Frenchman’s contract but now a deal has been worked out. It all depends on the personal agreement between Bakayoko and the Turkish club as both parties are slated to talk on Wednesday.
Chelsea might not generate a big amount from his sale but it will surely clear up squad space and help them save money. Unfortunately, the Bakayoko transfer instilled a lot of promise but failed to turn into a success story in reality.
How would you rate Tiemoue Bakayoko’s time at Chelsea?