Tolisso waiting on offers to leave Lyon as Chelsea grow ‘frustrated’ in Bakayoko chase

Combining a couple reports out of France from the last 24 hours, we have young Corentin Tolisso admitting that he’s ready to leave Lyon in search of Champions League football and young Tiemoué Bakayoko not doing anything beyond just frustrating Chelsea. These two things could be related.

That’s a report from L’Equipe, which claims that Chelsea, who were supposedly on the verge of wrapping up our first major signing of the summer in Tiemoué Bakayoko, are growing frustrated with all the hoops we’re having to jump through to work this deal out. Considering that Bakayoko’s at Monaco, where intermediaries are as common as yachts in the harbor, that’s not all that surprising. It’s doubtful that we’d give up that easily if we truly wanted the 22-year-old midfielder, but there are at least hints that we could turn our attentions to the other 22-year-old at Lyon instead. That’s either a tactic to move things along, or it’s a real threat with real intent behind it. Tolisso instead of Bakayoko? Why not both!

Tolisso, for what it’s worth, sounds ready to move, though not until after his international commitments with France are done in a couple weeks.

“It was a tricky time [last summer], I was young and I still wanted to play for Lyon in their new stadium. There was the Champions League and I thought we had a good team.”

“If there are offers I will study them with my advisors and my parents, then I will go and tell the president (Jean-Michel Aulas) that I want to leave. I've listened to his words, he's said there have been no new offers, so when we talk together I would like the situation to be clarified as soon as possible.”

“Until June 13 I am fully focused on the French national team.”

-Corentin Tolisso; source: Le Progres via Mail

Now watch the offers roll in.