Pushed to one side by pretty much every manager since Antonio Conte, Tiemoué Bakayoko’s future is far from Chelsea.
First loaned to Milan followed by a spell back with his former club at AS Monaco, the Frenchman was looking for another way out this summer, eventually finding something when Napoli, led by Gennaro Gattuso, came knocking for a temporary deal.
There was no clause to make the move permanent in the deal, meaning it was reported as a ‘dry loan’, and yet, Gazzetta dello Sport suggests there’s more than meets the eye.
Starting fantastically well for his new club, helped by the trust placed in him by Gattuso, Bakayoko’s performances have already led to suggestions Napoli could keep him beyond the current season, and there’s a plan for that.
While there was nothing ‘written’ in the deal taking him from Stamford Bridge to the south of Italy, Gazzetta report on Sunday that a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ was struck between the two sides, one allowed Aurelio De Laurentiis’ side to buy the player ‘for a fee of around €18m’.
This operation is said to potentially be one that could ‘accelerate’ following Gattuso’s renewal, as there are ‘no doubts the manager particularly rates the personality and characteristics of Bakayoko’.
That’s good news for both the player and Chelsea, who have been looking for a parting of ways for some time now.
This is all corroborated by Corriere dello Sport, who state Bakayoko has ‘convinced everyone’, with ‘first talks’ already taking place with the Blues ‘through third parties to define the margins of a purchase negotiations’.
If Gazzetta are to be believed, it’s €18m.
