Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is reportedly eager to bring Monaco starlet Tiemoue Bakayoko to Stamford Bridge to replace the outbound Oscar.

According to an exclusive run by The Times, Monaco star Tiemoue Bakayoko has emerged as a potential addition for Chelsea in January. The player is reportedly being eyed by Blues manager Antonio Conte as an addition to the roster to fill the gap to be left by Brazilian superstar Oscar, who looks set to move to China.

Tiemoue Bakayoko is a 22-year-old midfield general that made the move from Rennes to Monaco before the start of the 2014-15 season. The player has been eligible for both Ivory Coast and France but has represented the latter at various youth levels right up to the Under-21 level.

The player is more of an enforcer in the middle of the park and hence has no contributions to the attacking phase this season for AS Monaco – neither creating nor scoring a single goal in the present campaign. Despite the aforementioned stat, the player’s performances have impressed everyone as the 22-year-old has locked down a regular place in the starting eleven under Leonardo Jardim.

Ready to boss the Premier League? (Picture Courtesy - AFP/Getty Images)
Ready to boss the Premier League? (Picture Courtesy – AFP/Getty Images)

And as per The Times report, Antonio Conte has been impressed with the energetic and tireless displays by Bakayoko, with the Italian now seeking a transfer for the player to beef up his midfield options. Bakayoko, whose current deal runs till 2019, will not come cheap, with a figure of £40m reported to be the player’s value, according to Monaco.

Chelsea are potentially going to rake in £60m with the impending sale of Oscar to Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai SIPG and could use a part of that sum to bring the 22-year-old over to Stamford Bridge.

Conte believes that the player, with his youthful and tireless attitude, shall blend in perfectly with the squad and his system, better than the outbound Oscar. Bakayoko would also love the opportunity of making a big money move to Premier League, which would not only bring him furthermore into the eyes of the footballing world, but also serve him with a world-wide fan following.

It would be intriguing to see if AS Monaco would let the player leave, with the Ligue 1 club vying to retain their spot at the top end of the table. But his addition could just be what Chelsea need to sustain their brilliant run of form and perhaps run away with the title.

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