Chelsea will wrap up a £39.7million deal in the coming days for Tiemoue Bakayoko, who will undertake a full medical in the capital on Friday morning.
The Blues have been chasing the midfielder for much of the summer, following his impressive season in which he helped Monaco win the Ligue 1 title and reach the last four of the UEFA Champions League. Bakayoko made 46 appearances in both competitions, providing steel to their midfield.
This is what Antonio Conte wants him to replicate in England this season, and the Italian coach is happy to part with the best part of £40million of his budget to land the 22-year-old. Once his medical has been completed, the discussions over a contract are expected to be a formality.
Although it may seem that the pursuit of Bakayoko has been a protracted affair, the deal was somewhat held up as the player underwent keyhole surgery on a minor knee injury earlier this summer. The Premier League champions, though, are confident this won’t pose a problem.
Once the France international is in the bag, the Blues are expected to let Nemanja Matic go. The Serb looked set for Manchester United earlier this month, but Conte’s side will instead look to sell him abroad after the Reds pipped them to long-term target Romelu Lukaku from Everton.
Bakayoko will become Chelsea’s fourth signing of the summer, following Antonio Rudiger, Willy Caballero, and Ethan Ampadu. Conte remains determined to land a top-class striker, and has been widely tipped to make a move for Real Madrid’s £79million-rated Alvaro Morata.
