Tiemoue Bakayoko arrived at Stamford Bridge from AS Monaco in 2017 and has been out on loan since the start of the 2018/19 season.
Last summer, the Blues allowed the midfielder to return to AC Milan on a two-year loan deal with an obligation to buy if certain conditions are met.
In his first spell at the San Siro, he played under Gennaro Gattuso. The Chelsea player reunited with the Italian at Napoli during the 2020/21 campaign and the pair could meet again at Valencia.
Last month, Los Ches appointed Gattuso as their new manager and he is now looking for a midfielder who can provide balance and sustain his playing style.
That’s according to AS, who state Arsenal’s Lucas Torreira is his main target. The Uruguay international is also wanted by AS Roma and therefore, the La Liga side are exploring other options.
Among them is the 27-year-old owned by Chelsea, who is on loan at Milan, with a buying option set at €15m for 2023. The Frenchman is aware the Serie A winners will not make his deal permanent.
The Blues man is convinced Milan will not stop him leaving the San Siro. If that happens, then it would down to Valencia to negotiate his loan move with Chelsea.
Bakayoko is ‘waiting for a call’ from Valencia as he ‘wants to play’ under Gattuso again. AS state he has held talks with the Spanish side’s manager, but the ‘main stumbling’ block is his salary.
