AC Milan delaying on Bakayoko transfer

AC Milan will wait until the end of the Serie A season before making a decision on whether to make Tiemoue Bakayoko’s move to the club a permanent one.

The French international has been an important figure in Gennaro Gattuso’s side this season, after joining on a season long loan from Maurizio Sarri’s Chelsea back in August 2018.

He has played in 24 of Milan’s 30 Serie A games in 2018-19, with 10 in Europa League and cup action for the San Siro club.

The Italian side do have a purchase option on the midfielder, with Gattuso regularly praising his performances in the engine room, alongside Franck Kessie and Hakan Calhanoglu.

However with Chelsea’s situation this summer increasingly unsure, with Sarri potentially leaving the club and a two year transfer ban imposed by FIFA, meaning that the Premier League may push for his return – as the purchase option is not compulsory.

With that in mind, Gattuso has stated that he club will wait until the summer to make a final decision on Bakayoko, with the preference being keeping him at at the club.

They will also have talks with Atalanta at the season’s end, with Kessie’s two year loan at an end, and the club from Bergamo could drag their heels over the purchase option should Milan bid lower than their asking price.

AC Milan are in a strong position to finish inside the top four, come the end of the season, and qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2013.

If they do make it back into Europe’s premier competition for 2019-20, the money that generates will be invested back into the squad.

Along with Bakayoko, Gattuso is also likely to be in the market for a defensive reinforcements, with he demands of competing on three fronts taking its toll on his tthin squad this season.

Centre back Alessio Romagnoli has continued to impressive this season, and formed a partnership with former Villarreal player Mateo Musacchio, although the Argentina has demonstrated a rashness at times, which may lead Gattuso to look for a longer term option.

Ricardo Rodriguez has made the left back spot his own since his 2017 move from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg, however right back Ignazio Abate is out of contract this summer, although he is expected to extend his ten year stay at the club.

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