In a recent report, El Gol Digital has stated that Real Madrid are willing to pay €30m for Chelsea midfielder Tiemoué Bakayoko this summer. It is understood that Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane has approved the move as he looks to bring the French midfielder to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium before the transfer deadline in October (via El Gol Digital).
The 26-year-old had a season of mixed emotions while on loan at AS Monaco where he caught the eye for producing a series of dominant performances at the centre of the park. Bakayoko managed to appear in 23 matches for the French outfit in the previous campaign, scoring one goal and providing two assists across all fronts.
The one-time French international did well to average 2.4 tackles, 1.5 interceptions, 0.9 clearances, 1.2 shots, 0.5 key passes and 1.8 dribbles per game in the Ligue 1. The talented midfielder was quite tidy when distributing the ball as he completed 86% of his attempted passes in league football last season (stats via whoscored).
Bakayoko needs to secure regular playing minutes this season if he wants to maintain his good form at the highest level. However, Chelsea do not have the luxury to offer him regular first-team opportunities which is why it makes sense for the player to seek a move to the Spanish capital in search of greener pastures.
Bakayoko is quite aggressive when challenging for the ball in midfield and can be an intimidating presence on the defensive end of the field. He has got the strength and work ethic to make life miserable for the opposition in the middle of the park.
The Frenchman is a decent tackler of the ball and can contribute by pulling off some crucial interceptions and clearances for his team. Bakayoko has also passed the ball well, but there are some serious question marks over whether he has what it takes to succeed in La Liga where his lack of technique could be exploited.
Either way, Los Blancos should consider taking a gamble on Bakayoko as he could potentially form a devastating defensive midfield partnership with Casemiro in the coming seasons. Plus, the French midfield ace will enhance the depth of Zidane’s match-day squad considerably for the 2020-21 campaign. He will also help the Madrid giants consolidate their position at the top of Spanish football in the years to come.
At 26, Bakayoko is currently at the prime stage of his playing career, so Zidane would fancy his chances of getting the best out of him if he can orchestrate a move to bring him on board before next month’s transfer deadline.