It appears that Chelsea have a habit of including unilateral renewal clauses in their players’ contracts, having already surprised everyone by extending Olivier Giroud’s to ensure he didn’t leave on a free to a club in the Premier League.
Now, it’s Tiemoué Bakayoko’s turn, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, who claim the Blues ‘will trigger’ the option in the deal.
In similar fashion to the French striker, ‘Marina Granovskaia, Chelsea’s plenipotentiary chief, will exercise the unilateral renewal option for Bakayoko’, whose current deal expires in 2022.
That means Milan, ‘who could have bought him at a relatively low price, will have to raise the offer in the negotiations’.
That’s the aim from Chelsea, but it could also play in the Serie A side’s hands, as extending the contract means they ‘could return to the fore for a loan’, although ‘the Blues would hardly accept unless the purchase clause is mandatory’.
Milan, though, are in no hurry, and are happy to ‘rely on Bakayoko’s will’, who would ‘happily return’ after a good loan spell there a few years ago.
This is echoed by Corriere dello Sport, who explain that ‘from London, they are letting it be known Chelsea could unilaterally extend the contract of players whose deals are running out’.
