Chelsea have agreed on the deal with Monaco for the defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko and will fork out £40 million for his services.
Bakayoko was on Jose Mourinho’s wish list as he tried to hijack a move and put more misery on Antonio Conte, following Lukaku’s transfer earlier this month, when he snapped the forward under Conte’s nose. However, the Blues won this battle, and the player is set to undergo a medical at Stamford Bridge on Friday.
It’s going to be a huge relief to Conte, who was worried about the lack of transfer activities at Chelsea and was evidently frustrated when Lukaku moved to United. Now, he can feel a bit victorious for getting his man, but still, he has more players on his shortlist such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alvaro Morata, Alex Sandro, and Danilo.
Bakayoko’s transfer left Manchester United’s target Nemanja Matic in limbo as the Serbian midfielder currently training alone. Mourinho would like to bring him to Old Trafford, but he made Eric Dier his top priority target as he looks for the reinforcement in the middle of the park.
The former Rennes midfielder is excellent in defense, but he also knows to hold the ball, and he’s quite good in aerial duels. Tackling and ball interception are certainly his biggest qualities, and he should blend well in Conte’s philosophy with two defensive midfielders.
Bakayoko will be sidelined until September and will not immediately jump into the starting eleven, but there are no concerns whether he will pass the medical. The 22-year-old is set to become Chelsea’s third signing of the summer after Willy Caballero and Antonio Rudiger already joined the Blues in this transfer window.
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