Napoli in Bakayoko talks with Chelsea

Napoli have opened talks with Chelsea over the possibility of signing Tiemoue Bakayoko, according to Sky in Italy.

Having invested heavily into their team this summer, Chelsea are now desperate to offload players who either don’t have a place in Frank Lampard’s plans or simply aren’t happy with being there just for squad depth. Apart from Bakayoko, they are reportedly close to agreeing a deal which would see winger Callum Hudson-Odoi finally join Bayern Munich with the Bundesliga champions keen on his services for a long time.

As for Bakayoko, he failed to justify the £40 million spent on his signature in 2017, and was consequently sent out on loans for the last two seasons, first to AC Milan, and then AS Monaco. Milan are apparently keen to bring the 26-year-old midfielder back, but with no deal in place, they face competition from Paris Saint-Germain, and now Napoli as well.

Napoli are apparently interested exclusively in a loan deal at this point, but the talks will have to go fast now, with only two days remaining before the transfer window closes. Bakayoko’s contract with Chelsea expires in 2022.