AC Milan look set to continue their very well-thought transfer market campaign as Chelsea midfielder Tiémoué Bakayoko has arrived in Milan to complete his loan move to the San Siro side.
Leonardo and Maldini are working hard to secure a few more signings before the transfer window closes on Friday. Having already delivered Mattia Caldara and Gonzalo Higuain to Gennaro Gattuso, the plan is to bring in one winger and at least one midfielder.
There have been several names linked with the Rossoneri, but it seems that Bakayoko will be their next signing, as medical tests are scheduled for tomorrow (Monday). According to the reliable Gianluca Di Marzio, the French midfielder will arrive on loan with an option to buy, with the total cost of the operation being €40m.
Now, throughout the negotiations for Bakayoko, there have been a lot of criticism towards Leonardo and Maldini, and understandably so. The 23-year-old had a very poor season with Chelsea last campaign, ultimately failing to live up to his €45m price tag.
However, there are enough positives to argue that what Leonardo and Maldini are doing is actually very smart, especially considering Milan’s FFP situation. With only five days left of the transfer market, you can’t expect to get exactly what you wished for, though you can get quite close.
For Milan, the arrival of Bakayoko will be crucial, as he gives the Rossoneri a hand in fixing their biggest issue; depth. Last season, Franck Kessie played a total of 54 games as Milan were fighting across three competitions for a long time.
Now, even though the Ivorian did really well, there were definitely signs of fatigue from his side, especially in the latter stages of the campaign. This was all due to the fact that he had no natural replacement, forcing Gattuso to field him week in, week out.
Therefore, the arrival of at least one midfielder has been a priority for Milan this summer, and Bakayoko’s loan move could help fill this void. With that said, the French midfielder is perhaps not the ideal replacement for Kessie, but having played in all of the three central positions in a 3-5-2, he can surely do the job.
Furthermore, he will be able to replace the likes of Lucas Biglia and Giacomo Bonaventura whenever needed. In regards to his role, it’s certainly unlikely that he will sit on the bench for most. With Gattuso in charge, though, we all know he will have to prove his worth.
Should Bakayoko manage to find his groove, much like the player we saw at Monaco, then Milan will be a lucky team. In that case, he wouldn’t be the first player to flop at Chelsea, only to redeem himself later on (De Bruyne, Salah…)
As it’s only a loan, the Rossoneri will be able to gamble on the matter. In the worst case, if things don’t go well, then there’s always the option to send him back to Chelsea, just like there’s the opportunity to sign him if things go well.
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