Chelsea have announced they have signed Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko on a five-year deal until 2022.
The Premier League champions have been locked in talks with Monaco since the end of last season but finally made a breakthrough in discussions to complete a £40m deal that makes him the second most expensive player in the club’s history.
Antonio Conte’s side were expected to complete this transfer much earlier in the summer but Bakayoko underwent minor knee surgery at the end of last season and Chelsea wanted to discover the extent of his rehabilitation first.
Despite the fact the 22-year-old could miss the first month of the season, Chelsea have gone ahead with the deal and have now made three signings this summer following the arrivals of Manchester City’s Willy Caballero and Antonio Rudiger from Roma.
“I am very happy to be here and to join this great team,” he told Chelsea’s official website. “I have grown up watching Chelsea. Signing was the natural thing for me because it is a club I loved very much in my childhood.
“I am now looking forward to evolving under this fantastic coach and alongside so many great team-mates.”
There were suggestions Manchester United were looking to hi-jack Chelsea’s pursuit of Bakayoko in a similar fashion to their stunning £72m deal for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, but Conte’s side have prevailed on this occasion.
In Ligue 1 last season only two players won possession in the midfield third more times than Bakayoko (165), whose arrival will almost certainly mean Nemanja Matic leaves the club.
For more stats on Tiemoue Bakayoko, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
