Reports: €45 million rated midfielder set to undergo Chelsea medical
What’s the story?
Chelsea have finally managed to agree a deal for Tiemoué Bakayoko according to French radio station, RMC. The Blues have decided to pay AS Monaco's asking price of €45 million for the midfielder who is now set to have his medical.
Manchester United were reportedly interested in signing him but AS Monaco were not ready to listen to their offers. Chelsea were reportedly the only club he wanted to move to, and now a deal has been agreed.
Bakayoko's brother has also 'confirmed' the transfer with a cryptic post on snapchat.
In case you didn’t know...
Nemanja Matic is 'desperate' to leave Chelsea this summer. The Serbian knows that his chances will be limited at Stamford Bridge this season and in keen on reuniting with former boss, Jose Mourinho at Manchester United.
Chelsea have demanded £40 million from the Red Devils for him, and they are reportedly willing to pay the asking price. Mourinho is said to be pushing Ed Woodward to complete the deal as soon as possible.
The Premie League champions, however, are slowing things down until they sign Bakayoko. Antonio Conte does not want to let Matic leave without getting a replacement first.
The heart of the matter
Chelsea have finally reached an agreement with AS Monaco for Tiemoue Bakayoko. The 22-year-old midfielder is now set to undergo a medical on Friday in London.
The negotiations for the French midfielder have been going on for months, with Chelsea's first interest coming in January. Monaco were reluctant to sell that time but were ready to let him leave in the summer.
Bakayoko played his part in the transfer by informing the Ligue 1 champions that he wants to join Antonio Conte's side in the summer. Monaco swiftly moved for Soualiho Meite and signed him as the replacement for Bakayoko.
What’s next?
Reports suggest that Bakayoko is already in London and was only waiting for the clubs to agree a deal. The midfielder will now undergo a medical at Chelsea in the next 48 hours.
Conte is concerned about the midfielder's knee injury and would hope that he does not miss the start of next season. The Blues' have a tough start to their title-defending campaign.
Author’s Take
The deal in principle was agreed between the two clubs about 7-8 days ago. Only the minor details of the deal, ie, payment scheme and bonus calculations, were to be sorted. The move will now see Matic leaving the club, most likely heading to Old Trafford.