Sky Sports Italia are reporting that Tiémoué Bakayoko’s rumored loan move to AC Milan has finally been agreed, with the move pending only a medical, the final signatures, and the official announcement.
BREAKING: Chelsea's Tiemoue Bakayoko signs for AC Milan on loan with option to buy for £35.6m, says Sky in Italy pic.twitter.com/xSzFEuJffQ
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 12, 2018
Bakayoko’s fate had been trending in this direction for most of the past week, though that’s just a conclusion to what had been an, at best, mixed first season at Stamford Bridge. Now, that season might the only season of Bakayoko in a blue shirt, as the season-long loan will have a €40m buy-option.
Sky’s report does not mention or specify a loan fee, which was reportedly the last hurdle for this arrangement, but presumably some token amount had been agreed to help Chelsea recoup our £40m investment from twelve months ago.
Bakayoko’s departure (at least for this season) should solidify Ruben Loftus-Cheek’s claim on a first-team spot, though obvious questions will be raised about just why Chelsea needed to spring for the former Monaco man in the first place.