Tiemoue Bakayoko has completed his loan move from Chelsea to AC Milan, with that deal including a €35 million purchase option.
OFFICIAL STATEMENT:
AC Milan are pleased to announce the signing of French midfielder Tiémoué Bakayoko from Chelsea FC. The 23 year-old joins the club on a loan deal with an option to make the move permanent.
Bakayoko will be unveiled to the media in a press conference on Friday August 17th , 3 PM CET at Casa Milan in Via Aldo Rossi 8.
The one-time capped France international had a tough year with the Blues, during which he failed to impose himself under Antonio Conte. With Conte sacked, his prospects of featuring under Maurizio Sarri were reduced even further amidst the arrivals of players such as Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic.
As such, the Serie A side are keen to whisk the former Monaco man away from the Stamford Bridge side on a loan deal valued at €5 million (£4.5m/$5.7m). And they wish to keep him at the end of the season, they will pay another €35m to Chelsea, taking the value of the deal to €40m in total.
Bakayoko signed for Chelsea last summer for a fee of £40 million after Nemanja Matic was sold to Manchester United, but despite an impressive campaign for Monaco as they won the 2016-17 Ligue 1 title, he was unable to replicate that level in England.
He is not the only Chelsea midfielder who could be on his way out of Stamford Bridge before the majority of Europe closes its transfer window at the end of August. Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Danny Drinkwater could also move away, though it would have to be abroad as the Premier League deadline was August 9.
Bakayoko, meanwhile, turned out 43 times in total for Chelsea, including 29 times in the Premier League. Over the course of his one campaign in England, he scored three goals and laid on three more.