AC Milan remain locked in negotiations with Chelsea over a move for Tiemoue Bakayoko, but negotiations are moving at ‘a slow pace’.
That’s according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who provide the latest update on the player’s potential return to the San Siro this summer.
Bakayoko has been heavily linked with re-joining the Serie A side, where he spent a year on loan in the 2018/19 season.
Talks between Chelsea and AC Milan have been ongoing for several weeks, with the latest reports indicating that they were in the ‘home straight’ and close to a conclusion.
Gazzetta throw a little bit of cold water on that today, stating that while the player ‘is always at the top of the list’ negotiations are moving at a snail’s pace.
Bakayoko, for his part, has long been in talks with AC Milan about a return and his ‘will’ is key to the Italians finalising a deal for him.
He is working to try and lower the costs of the loan, and the total of the right to redemption which will be included, but has so far failed to do so.
Indeed, the latest responses from Chelsea have not been positive, with it stated that they find AC Milan’s ‘economic plans’ for the deal to happen ‘unconvincing’.
They are only willing to close the deal with an agreement that is the same as the one that took him to the club two years ago; €5m for the loan with a €35m purchase price.
Those are prices Milan are seemingly unwilling to pay, and Gazzetta say they have instead turned their attention to other targets in case their negotiations with Chelsea ‘turn into a war of nerves’.
Benfica’s Florentino Luis and Lille’s Boubakary Soumaré are both seen as alternatives, with Paolo Maldini having already met the former’s agent to discuss a potential move.
