One of the big conundrums currently being worked on behind the scenes at Milan is how to pay Chelsea the €35m they are owed to make Tiemoué Bakayoko’s loan permanent.
The Serie A side have made it clear they want the France international to stay at San Siro next summer, a sentiment the defensive midfielder shares, having no desire to return to Stamford Bridge after Maurizio Sarri let him know he wasn’t a part of his plans.
There was good news over the weekend for all involved, as Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Milan are set to receive a chunk of the amount from the sale of Manuel Locatelli to Sassuolo.
Currently on loan, the midfielder’s view to buy clause is expected to be triggered, standing at €10m +€2m in bonuses added onto the €2m original loan fee.
This means Milan are set to receive an extra €12m for Locatelli, with all of it going in the “Bakayoko fund” jar currently sitting on Leonardo’s desk.
That means the Italians are over a third of the way there, now only needing to find another €23m down the back of the sofa somewhere.
A step in the right direction and all that.
