Ligue 1 giants Paris St. Germain have reportedly entered the race to sign AS Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko.
According to Matheiu Faure of French media outlet Nice-Matin, Paris St. Germain have joined Manchester United and Chelsea to make it a three-way tussle to acquire the services of Monaco’s midfield linchpin Tiemoue Bakayoko.
The French midfielder has been exceptional for Monaco since moving from Rennes in 2014. He was used sparingly in his first season, but soon became a mainstay at the heart of Les Monegasques’ midfield.
Knowing to be a club producing an array of talented players, Monaco’s stars are once again the talk of the town, and linked with moves to top European sides. Their performances have been so vital, that the French side have made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.
22-year-old Bakayoko has been a target for Chelsea for quite a while as manager Antonio Conte sees the Frenchman to take over the Matic role and prove to be an adept counterpart to the PFA Player of the Year N’Golo Kante.
While the duo have not worked together, their French connection and overall understanding of the game could see them become one of Europe’s most menacing midfield partnerships.
Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, too, is looking for someone to fit in for Michael Carrick, who will turn 36 this July. Bakayoko has all the facets to his game to make Mourinho believe in his capabilities to anchor the Red Devils midfield for many years to come.
Moves to top English sides are promising for many a young player, but should he decide to remain in France, PSG is a viable destination for him. The Parisiens have an array of world class players in their roster, and Bakayoko could gain a lot from the French speaking contingent at the Parc des Princes.
It is reported that persons from the PSG hierarchy had talks with the player last week, to talk about a probable transfer in the summer. However, with Monaco now possessing the talent to challenge Les Parisiens for the title, it remains to be seen whether they will sell to their rivals.
Monaco could prefer offloading Bakayoko to a foreign club as they are likely to gain a higher transfer fee and will also not be strengthening their nearest title rivals. PSG, however, will not give up easily, and this could be a transfer saga that prolongs throughout the summer.
