Chelsea ‘soften’ stance on Monaco option for Tiémoué Bakayoko — report

According to French newspaper L’Equipe (via Sport Witness), Chelsea are coming around to the idea of sending Tiémoué Bakayoko’s back on loan to AS Monaco this season. Previously, the Blues reportedly had some reservations about the move — be they financial or sporting — but with a little over a week to go in the European summer transfer window, a decision will have to made soon.

The Principality club may not be as wealthy or as high-flying as they were in recent seasons — especially when they surprisingly won the French League and got to the semifinals of the Champions League — but they are being linked with all sorts of players and appear to be making serious waves in the final week of the transfer window (even though they’re now officially without Michael Emenalo as sporting director).

Monaco have been linked with several midfielders in recent days, including Southampton’s Mario Lemina, Leicester City’s Adrien Silva and Bakayoko’s former midfield partner at AC Milan, Franck Kessié, but Bakayoko appears to be the primary target still. Perhaps something will be worked out after all.