Chelsea to begin Tiemoue Bakayoko talks this week as they try to beat Manchester United to Monaco midfielder

CHELSEA are set to begin talks with Monaco over signing Tiemoue Bakayoko this week.

Premier League rivals Manchester United are also hot on the midfielder, as are Paris Saint-Germain.

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But the claims Bakayoko, 22, is edging towards a Stamford Bridge move as the clubs negotiate a fee.

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Blues chiefs have already sounded out the one-cap France international, who has starred in a dynamic Monaco midfield.

Bakayoko - a PSG fan - has already ruled out joining his boyhood club leaving the door open for the Premier League champions to launch a £40million bid.

Talking to Canal Plus, he said: "It's impossible, because I've just finished champion ahead of Paris.

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"I can't leave for a club that has finished behind me.

"PSG is a club I carry in my heart because I'm a Parisian and I was a supporter of PSG, like my family. They initiated me."

SunSport exclusively revealed United will try and bolster their options in the middle with a £35m move for Blues star Nemanja Matic.

Old Trafford boss Jose Mourinho signed the Serbian, 28, in 2014 and will try to lure him away.

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Matic was a first-team regular for the title winners but Bakayoko's arrival could see the Blues try and cash in.

Mourinho is also keeping tabs on two other Monaco stars - Bernardo Silva and Fabinho - after the wealthy club stormed to the title with a promising young squad.

Read SunSport's profile of Chelsea and Manchester United target Tiemoue Bakayoko here

Monaco are expected to replace Bakayoko with Anderlecht's Youri Tielemans, who has been tipped as a star of the future.