Fansided

Chelsea finalize $52.3 million signing of Tiemoue Bakayoko

ByNic Hendrickson|
TURIN, ITALY - MAY 09: Tiemoue Bakayoko of AS Monaco in action during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Juventus and AS Monaco at Juventus Stadium on May 9, 2017 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)
TURIN, ITALY - MAY 09: Tiemoue Bakayoko of AS Monaco in action during the UEFA Champions League Semi Final second leg match between Juventus and AS Monaco at Juventus Stadium on May 9, 2017 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Etsuo Hara/Getty Images)

Chelsea have completed another big-money signing, spending $52.3 million on French midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko.

Chelsea have confirmed that they have signed 22-year-old French midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko for $52.3 million. Bakayoko burst onto the scene with Monaco and now represents France on the international level.

Bakayoko is the second big-money signing Chelsea have snagged in the summer transfer window, joining Antonio Rudiger. Aside from losing out on Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United, this has been a good transfer window for the Blues so far, especially with the signing of Bakayoko now confirmed.

Bakayoko was a mainstay in a Monaco side that upset PSG for the Ligue 1 title this season. He appeared in 32 matches this season for Monaco, starting in 25 of them. While his deep lying position limited his contributions in the final third — two goals and an assist in Ligue 1 — he was a massive part of their impressive defensive record.

Despite the fact he isn’t able to contribute much in attack, he’s a great ball winning midfielder and is efficient in starting the attacking play from there. His 87.3 percent pass success rate in Ligue 1 and 87.4 percent in the Champions League is solid for a midfielder more well-known for his defensive abilities.

Along with his passing abilities, Bakayoko is well-known for his tackling and intelligence. He reads the game very well in the defensive midfield role, averaging 1.8 interceptions per match in Ligue 1 and 2.8 per match in the Champions League last season. He is also gifted at winning aerial duels.

Next: GoT characters and their Premier League counterparts

Bakayoko will very likely slot into a role in the Chelsea squad similar to that of Nemanja Matic. If Matic sticks around, then the staunch defense that Chelsea had last season is surely going to continue into the next campaign. However, Matic has been widely rumored to be on his way out, so expect Bakayoko to start alongside N’Golo Kante in the heart of Chelsea’s midfield.

Home/Premier League