Chelsea expect to sign Tiemoue Bakayoko despite surgery delay
Chelsea hope to push through a deal for Tiemoue Bakayoko before the end of the week despite revelations of knee surgery which may rule him out of the start of the season.
Monaco midfielder Bakayoko, who posted a photo of himself next to a jet on Monday, underwent routine keyhole surgery last month to clean out a knee which had been causing him pain since February.
It postponed a proposed Chelsea medical which had been planned in London and the two clubs have yet to reach a final agreement on a transfer fee.
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Chelsea expect to confirm the arrival of Tiemoue Bakayoko, despite his knee surgery
The Monaco midfielder is the man Antonio Conte wants to buy to bolster his midfield options
Monaco have been holding out for £40million plus add-ons for the 22-year-old and Chelsea's bidding is up to £37m.
A deal is close and both clubs expect the transfer will be completed, probably before the end of the week, although Bakayoko's base fitness is a concern to Antonio Conte.
The France international is training at the French FA's Clairefontaine academy near Paris as part of a recovery programme and will be behind his team-mates by the time he arrives in London.
He may not travel with Chelsea at the start of a three-match tour to China and Singapore and Conte fears he will not be up to speed in time for the opening game of the season against Burnley on August 12.
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The 22-year-old made 51 appearances for Monaco last season as they secured the Ligue 1 title
The Premier League champions reported for pre-season on Monday and were thrown straight into double-sessions by Conte, who has a grueling schedule planned before they fly to Asia next week.
Bakayoko added a note to his Instagram post: ‘Let’s go … Have a good week everyone #HappyMonday’.
Bakayoko was an instrumental part of the young Monaco side, managed by Leonardo Jardim, that won the Ligue 1 title and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.
He scored three goals in 51 appearances and his impressive performances earned him an international debut under Didier Deschamps in March.
Daily Mail