On Friday afternoon, Gazzetta dello Sport reported Gennaro Gattuso is ‘waiting with open arms’ to welcome Chelsea’s Tiémoué Bakayoko to Napoli.
The manager trained the midfielder during his time at AC Milan, and is now looking to reunite with the 26-year-old.
According to Calciomercato.it, the Serie A side are accelerating negotiations for the Frenchman.
It’s claimed the former AS Monaco man has already given his ‘willingness’ to join the Italian side, and Federico Pastorello is the intermediary working on the deal.
The report also explains ‘there is an agreement’ with Chelsea for an ‘onerous loan with the right to buy’.
Work is ongoing on how to pay Bakayoko’s €6m per year salary, and Napoli sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli is in ‘contact’ with Chelsea director Marina Granovskaia.
Pastorello is set to arrive in Italy on Saturday to try and close the deal, and also try to ‘make ends meet between the clubs and Bakayoko’.
Calciomercato.it adds today is the ‘decisive day’ in Napoli’s effort for the Chelsea player and Gattuso’s side are on ‘pole’ to sign him.
