Tiemoue Bakayoko re-joined Milan on a two-year loan deal last summer, but he seems on the cusp of cutting short his stay at San Siro. According to French publication Foot Mercato, Marseille and Chelsea have found an agreement over the midfielder’s return to Ligue 1.
Chelsea paid Monaco £40m to sign Bakayoko as a long-term replacement for Nemanja Matic in 2017. However, the move has not panned out as expected. The Frenchman has miserably flopped at Stamford Bridge, becoming a scapegoat in west London.
Bakayoko’s underwhelming career at Chelsea has been highlighted by numerous loan deals, including two at Milan. After a decent first stint in Serie A back in 2018/19, the 27-year-old reunited with the Rossoneri last summer.
Despite forming part of Stefano Pioli’s squad to win the Scudetto last season, Bakayoko has no future in Lombardy. He registered a frustrating 493 minutes of league football in 2021/22.
Often forced to play second fiddle to Sandro Tonali and Ismael Bennacer, the French midfielder is close to being cut loose by the club. Milan are working on several incomings, and freeing up space to accommodate the newcomers is significant.
Bakayoko could pay the price, with Marseille moving full steam ahead to secure his signature. Last season’s Ligue 1 runners-up have already struck a deal with Chelsea to take the towering midfielder back to his homeland. But there is a catch.
New Marseille boss Igor Tudor is reluctant to give the go-ahead. The former Hellas Verona tactician is said to be blocking the move as he has other priorities. It is now up to the Velodrome chiefs to convince their new manager to come on board.
Meanwhile, Bakayoko made a rare start for Milan as Pioli’s lads defeated Koln 2-1 in their opening summer friendly on Saturday. In the absence of numerous first-team stars, the Frenchman was given an opportunity to plead his case.