Tiemoue Bakayoko: Chelsea are closing in on a £35million deal and here is what the Monaco midfielder can offer
Antonio Conte is very keen on the Frenchman who made his France debut in March
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CHELSEA are closing in on a £35million deal for Monaco starlet Tiemoue Bakayoko.
Antonio Conte wants the French international as part of a new-look midfield for next season.
Highly-rated Bakayoko has been linked with a number of Premier League rivals but the Blues are in pole position.
Who is Tiemoue Bakayoko and which clubs has he played for?
Bakayoko played for several youth teams in his hometown Paris before catching the eye of Ligue 1 Rennes in 2008.
After five years in their academy he was promoted to the B Team and spent two seasons there before being moved up again.
The Frenchman, 22, played 28 times for Rennes' first team before Monaco shelled out £6.8million to bring his to the principality in 2014.
Dynamic Bakayoko has made 18 league appearances for the title contenders this season - scoring twice.
What is Tiemoue Bakayoko’s style of play?
Bakayoko is used to playing in a deeper midfield role using his physicality to break up attacks.
The youngster could be described as a less flashy, more defensive version of Paul Pogba, who he replaced in the France squad due to injury in March.
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How much will Tiemoue Bakayoko cost?
Monaco are not keen to sell their man as he has firmly established himself at the heart of their midfield this season after two years on the fringes.
He was a key figure in inspiring the French principality side to the Champions League semi-finals, where they were beaten by Juventus.
But a fee of £35m has been mooted as Chelsea step up their chase.
Bakayoko's arrival at Stamford Bridge appears imminent as Nemanja Matic has reportedly agreed terms with Manchester United.