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French giants AS Monaco are close to securing a deal for Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, with the player expected to join Leonardo Jardim's side initially on a loan deal. The move is expected to be eventually made permanent for a fee in the region €35m, according to RMC Sport.
The defensive midfielder fell out of favour at Stamford Bridge under Maurizio Sarri and was sent out on loan to AC Milan for an initial fee of €5m. Though the Italian giants had the option to make the move permanent for a similar kind of fee, Monaco are now in pole position to re-sign the Frenchman.
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The Milan giants opted against the deal after failing to qualify for the Champions League and are preparing for life in the second-tier competition of European football.
It was initially thought by Chelsea that Monaco wasn't a suitable option for the midfielder but that stance has been changed with the Pensioners now looking more open to the idea of reuniting Bakayoko with his former club.
The 25-year-old is a product of Rennes's youth academy and progressed through the ranks there to make his debut for the club's senior side back in 2013.
He was snapped up by Monaco in 2014 where he stayed for the next three seasons, managing 92 appearances and finding the back of the net five times and assisting his teammates on one occasion.
Former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte brought the French international to Chelsea back in 2017 for a fee of around €44m. The figure made Bakayoko Chelsea's second-most expensive signing at that point, only behind Fernando Torres.
The deep-lying midfielder has, so far, managed 43 appearances for the London-based club but after finding opportunities hard to come by since last season, he is looking for a way out.
Any deal for Bakayoko though has to be concluded before the September 2 transfer deadline.
