Chelsea in transfer U-turn over Bakayoko as club prepare to send midfield misfit on loan to former club Monaco

CHELSEA could reportedly be ready to send flop midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko back out on loan.

And it’s his former club, Monaco, who are believed to be the front-runners to snare him.

The 25-year-old spent last season on loan at AC Milan after a miserable start to his Chelsea career.

Big things were expected of the France international when he completed a £40m deal from Monaco in the summer of 2017.

But it appeared that the Blues had signed someone different from the marauding middle man who starred for the Principality side.

Bakayoko was shipped out to AC Milan, where despite upping his game, still failed to set the world alight.

STANCE SOFTENED

This season it appears new boss Frank Lampard, like predecessor Maurizio Sarri, doesn’t see Bakayoko getting into the team.

But SunSport reported that Chelsea director and transfer decision-maker Marina Granovskaia didn’t think Monaco were “big enough” when they were linked.

The Stamford Bridge hierarchy’s long-term plan is to try and recoup as much of the whopping fee they forked out for the flop.

And Granovskaia did not believe his market value would improve playing for the Ligue 1 outfit.

However three games into the Premier League season Bakayoko is still to break into the starting XI.

And French newspaper L’Equipe is reporting that the Blues’ stance has “softened” on letting the player leave on loan to his former club.

The player’s representatives aere unhappy with Granovskaia’s decision, especially as boss Frank Lampard has made it clear Bakayoko does not feature in his first-team plans.

He is desperate for game time, and Chelsea will continue to push along with Monaco for a loan or preferably a transfer before the European window closes on September 2.