At the beginning of the season, had you offered Manchester City fans the chance to play AS Monaco in the first knockout round of the Champions League, they’d have happily taken it.
However, as things stand, the prospect of facing one of the most prolific teams in Europe with a shaky defence that has only managed to keep 10 clean sheets in 34 games, four of which have come in the past five games, isn’t the most enticing one.
The French side has scored 76 goals in 26 league games this season, while only conceding 24 goals, and one of the main reasons behind this form is their midfield duo of Tiemoué Bakayoko and Fabinho, both capable of defending and helping their attack seamlessly.
The former of the two has been linked with a multitude of clubs, including the side he is about to face in the Champions League and Antonio Conte’s Chelsea, something he discussed in an interview with Le Parisien published on Tuesday.
When asked about the interest from Pep Guardiola’s side and Chelsea, the 22-year-old said: “I’m very happy at Monaco. This club has given a lot to me. Today, I want to focus on this season. Then we’ll see. I hope I sign in a big club.”
A move to either Stamford Bridge or the Etihad would certainly fall into that category, and there is a strong chance the midfielder will leave in the summer if the right offer lands on Monaco’s desk.
Whether comes from Chelsea, Manchester City or someone else like José Mourinho’s Manchester United remains to be seen.
