Marseille have reportedly agreed personal terms with Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko over a possible move this summer.

According to Foot Mercato, Marseille have made a positive stride in their pursuit of Tiemoue Bakayoko. The Ligue 1 giants are in the market for midfield reinforcements this summer, with the Chelsea outcast emerging as one of their main targets.

It appears Marseille have reached a personal agreement with Bakayoko as well. The midfielder is prepared to sign a four-year contract as he looks to force his way out of Chelsea, following a disastrous spell at Stamford Bridge.

Formerly of AS Monaco, Bakayoko joined Chelsea in the summer of 2017. But he was never able to make an impact at Stamford Bridge, often struggling to compete with the likes of N’Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic. During his time at the club, he has featured in only 43 competitive appearances for the Blues.

Naturally, the Premier League giants are keen on offloading the Frenchman in the summer as they look to make way for new signings. Chelsea have already brought in Raheem Sterling from Manchester City, whereas Kalidou Koulibaly has joined from Napoli.

Bakayoko on his way to Spain? (Photo courtesy: AFP/Getty)
Bakayoko on his way to France? (Photo courtesy: AFP/Getty)

Bakayoko was loaned out to AC Milan last summer, for a period of two years. However, it appears the Rossoneri are prepared to break the loan deal after Bakayoko failed to muster even 500 minutes of league footballing action this past season. Milan releasing the Chelsea midfielder could pave the way for him to join Marseille this summer.

OM are currently going through a major squad overhaul after losing a few star players in the summer, including defensive lynchpin William Saliba. At the same time, they have appeared quite proactive in the market, bringing in the likes of Pau Lopez, Arkadiusz Milik, and Isaak Toure while making Matteo Guendouzi and Cengiz Under’s loan moves permanent.

The club could be open to one more reinforcement in the midfield department, having lost Boubacar Kamara earlier in the summer, with Tiemoue Bakayoko appearing as an ideal option.

However, the report suggests Marseille’s newly-appointed head coach Igor Tudor is not a fan of the Chelsea midfielder. The Croatian mastermind is blocking the arrival of the Frenchman, who has endured a rapid decline over the past couple of years and may not offer much to the table.

This could be a major blow for Chelsea, knowing Bakayoko’s exit could have helped them further trim the squad ahead of the new season.

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