Newcastle are always linked with some strange players and Chelsea’s Tiemoue Bakayoko is certainly in that category.
The Chronicle reported the other day that the Magpies had been scouting the French midfielder, who is currently on loan at AC Milan.
He’ll return to Chelsea this summer, having endured a torrid first season in England which led to his temporary departure last summer.
While his reputation has recovered slightly in Italy, Bakayoko is still a risk that is not worth taking.
Realistic or not, Newcastle should stay away from Bakayoko
First things first, he wouldn’t come cheap.
When he joined Chelsea in 2017, he cost £40million from Monaco. They’ll want to get most their money back on him, with Calciomercato reporting that he’ll cost £30million.
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The report states that is the fee AC Milan will have to pay for him, but they are unlikely to pursue a permanent deal. While he has impressed on the pitch, the decision makers at AC Milan have not been impressed with his off-field antics.
So Newcastle would have to smash their transfer record for a player who hasn’t performed in the Premier League and has been criticised for his attitude at another top European club.
From the player’s perspective, I don’t see why he’d be interested in the move either. Going from Chelsea to AC Milan to Newcastle would be a real step down for him, even if his form hasn’t been great.
Rafa Benitez likes players he can rely on, and that doesn’t sound like Bakayoko.
His last game in the Premier League was against Newcastle, when the Magpies smashed Chelsea 3-0 on the final day of the season in 2018. Bakayoko was particularly anonymous that day, which should serve as a reminder to Benitez.
This seems like a ludicrous rumour, and one that hopefully doesn’t (and most likely won’t) come to fruition.