out bak
Chelsea flop Tiemoue Bakayoko in talks with AC Milan over season-long loan deal
Midfielder has struggled since his £40million move from Monaco and is now set to be shipped out to Milan for the year after failing to convince new boss Maurizio Sarri
Duncan Wright
Updated: 11:16, 8 Aug 2018
TIEMOUE BAKAYOKO is talking to AC Milan about completing a loan move to AC Milan.
The French midfielder has endured a torrid time at Chelsea since his £40million move to the Premier League last season.
Tiemoue Bakayoko is in talks with AC Milan about a move to Serie ACredit: Sportsfile - Subscription
Bakayoko, 23, struggled to adapt to the pace and intensity of the English game and found himself dropped by former boss Antonio Conte.
One of the reasons attributed for his poor form was that he missed out on a full pre-season training following a knee operation.
And he had hoped to have made a fresh start this time round, helped by being able to build up his full sharpness with a full training programme under his belt.
But it appears he has failed to convince new boss Maurizio Sarri that he should be part of his plans for the new season.
Bakayoko has struggled to make an impression at Chelsea and is being cleared to leave on loanCredit: Reuters
Where has it all gone wrong for Chelsea ace Tiemoue Bakayoko?
Maurizio Sarri is wasting little time making an impact on the Chelsea squadCredit: AFP or licensors
The Blues have given permission for Bakayoko to speak with Milan about securing a loan move to the San Siro.
There is still understood to be a belief that the midfielder has time on his side to develop into a player capable of becoming a regular performer in the Premier League.
That is why they are only sanctioning a loan deal, in the hope a season of regular football will see him shine in Italy and return able to challenge for selection again.
But it is clear Sarri has other plans for his first campaign in charge, with Bakayoko not even featuring on the bench in Sunday's Community Shield defeat to Manchester City.
The Italian identified midfield as the main area that needed improving when he first arrived at the club.
And he quickly raided former club Napoli to complete the £57.4m signing of Jorginho last month.
Now the Blues are ready to bring another midfielder in the shape of Mateo Kovacic as Sarri begins to make his mark on the squad.
Real Madrid star Kovacic has agreed a season-long loan deal at Stamford Bridge and will undergo his medical today before completing the move.
Sign up for Dream Team 2018/19 now
Dream Team is back and better than ever ahead of the new Premier League season
Completely free to play
£400k jackpot up for grabs across the season
REGISTER FOR DREAM TEAM 2018/19 HERE
Tiemoue Bakayoko