Deal with Chelsea being cancelled in January seen as ‘only possible solution’ for club

As we approach the January transfer window, the idea that Chelsea’s Tiemoue Bakayoko could return to the club is growing.

That’s because he hasn’t actually featured for Milan this season other than sitting on the bench, failing to step foot on a pitch and be used by Stefano Pioli.

This isn’t what Chelsea had in mind when they agreed to send him to the San Siro on a two-year loan last year, for which the Serie A side paid €500k up front and have an option to buy him set at €15m which becomes automatic if he makes 15 appearances of more than 45 minutes.

That tally is currently at seven, so there’s a fair chunk to go yet, but Milan are trying to cut the deal short, as was reported yesterday.

The Italians are allegedly looking around for a club ready to take him off their hands, and Gazzetta dello Sport follow up on that on Tuesday when looking at the situation.

They explain the Chelsea alone is currently just ‘a name present only on the team sheets delivered before the games, but nothing more’.

Since he has no minutes to his name this season, it is ‘logical that the release in January is the only possible solution’ for the Serie A side.

This would, in turn, allow Milan to ‘lighten’ their wage bill, taking off €2.5m/year net off it, which is ‘equal to almost €5m gross’.

Whether this is something Chelsea are open to, however, remains to be seen.