Chelsea close in on £35m deal for Monaco midfield enforcer

Rob McCarthy
Kylian Mbappe & Tiemoue Bakayoko: Linked with Man United

Chelsea have reportedly agreed a fee of £35.2million with Monaco for midfield enforcer Tiemoue Bakayoko.

The Blues have been linked with the Monaco star all summer and now the French champions are understood to have accepted an offer for the player.

The 22-year-old midfielder, who arrived from Rennes in 2014, starred in the holding role for Monaco last term as they won the French league and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League.

RMC Sport claim Bakayoko is expected to sign a five-year contract and will arrive in London early next week to undergo his medical.

Blues boss Antonio Conte is certainly not restings on his laurels, despite winning the Premier League title in his first season at the club, and is keen to strengthen his squad ahead of a return to the Champions League.