Reports: Chelsea outcast Tiemoue Bakayoko close to joining AC Milan permanently 

According to Sky Italia, AC Milan are close to agreeing a deal to sign Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko permanently. The French midfielder moved to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2017 and endured a torrid time at the club, as he was shipped off on loan to the Serie A club and Monaco in the years that followed.

However, Chelsea are eager to sell him permanently this summer and have agreed an initial €3 million loan deal with AC Milan with an obligation to buy for €30 million in the summer of 2021. The Rossoneri are looking to secure qualification to the Europa League knockout stages to complete the deal, with Bakayoko keen to end his Chelsea misery.

Edouard Mendy will be in London on next few hours - the deal is 100% done. Chelsea will consider a move for Declan Rice on following days but won’t pay €80m. West Ham insist they don’t want to sell Rice. Match on. Bakayoko is not in Lampard plans. 🔵 #CFC #Chelsea #WHUFC

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 11, 2020

The former Monaco man is amongst the Chelsea players who will be shipped out this summer and is unlikely to feature for the club again. The Blues have splashed the cash on several new signings and are looking to trim their squad in the coming weeks to balance the books.

Chelsea could offload several players to balance the books

Tiemoue Bakayoko looks set to join AC Milan permanently this summer

Hakim Ziyech, Timo Werner, Thiago Silva, Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz, and Malang Sarr have joined the club in the ongoing transfer window, while Edouard Mendy and Declan Rice are also top target for Chelsea this summer. Frank Lampard will look to move on a handful of players in the coming weeks, with Bakayoko seen as someone who could be sold for a sizable fee.

Been reported by @SkyItalia that AC Milan have reached agreement with Chelsea for Tiemoue Bakayoko. pic.twitter.com/ylVucKkgkh

— Frank Khalid (@FrankKhalidUK) September 16, 2020

Marcos Alonso is attracting interest from Inter Milan, while Fikayo Tomori has been mentioned as a player who could be involved in a deal to sign Mendy from Rennes. The Blues face a race against time to part with their fringe players, and it remains to be seen if they recoup enough funds to balance the books.

Chelsea got their 2020-21 Premier League campaign off to a winning start, as they recorded a 3-1 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. The Blues face champions Liverpool in the coming weekend and will have to be on their toes to record a positive result, having lost home and away to Jurgen Klopp's side last season.

---