The Bakayoko saga is finally about to reach its end.
is reportedly close to sealing a return to Monaco ahead of the European transfer deadline.
The Premier League transfer window may have shut but they can still sell players to European teams and Monaco have until September 2 to get a deal done to bring the midfielder back to the Stade Louis II.
Monaco are in desperate need of reinforcements after a poor start to the season as they have just one point from three games so far, and face a tough trip to Strasbourg on Sunday.
The holding midfielder joined Chelsea from the already-mentioned Monaco in 2017 after helping them claim the Ligue 1 title. French publication RMC report the Frenchman has agreed terms with his former club and a transfer is expected to be concluded in the coming days, although Chelsea are still weighing up the offer.
Monaco hope to take Bakayoko on loan with the option of a permanent €35 million deal next summer and that could be the issue holding the deal back. The player has reportedly already said his goodbyes to team-mates in London today and will arrive in France in the weekend to undergo a medical.
The French side would have an option, rather than an obligation, to buy the player outright next summer Chelsea could be left in the same situation at the end of the season – with Bakayoko back with the squad for pre-season and again searching for a new home.
“Before our match at Strasbourg on Sunday, we expect the arrival of a physically strong defensive midfielder. We expect to finalize the deal today,” Monaco’s vice-president Oleg Petrov revealed on Saturday.
The former AC Milan loanee is under contract with Chelsea until 2022 and the Premier League club may want assurances that a permanent move back to France will be completed next summer before they sanction a deal.
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