The name already lends itself particularly well, plus Milan is thinking about it seriously: regardless of the small game with the Frenchman’s name, his return to the Rossoneri is really plausible. We are talking about Tiémoué Bakayoko, the Chelsea-owned half who wore the Rossoneri colors during the 2018/19 season. Ending up in the notebooks of half of Europe for the great performances with Monaco, the source of talent and surprise team of the 2016/17 season, Baka was bought by Chelsea for a figure close to 40 million euros. In his first year in England he does not repay the enormous expectations that had been created around him, and so i Blues they decide to send him on loan to Milan. After a very difficult start, the ebony giant takes the keys to the Rossoneri midfield and conquers everyone, despite his relationship in light and shadow with Mr. Gattuso. Milan comes within one point of the Champions League and Bakayoko is therefore not redeemed, despite having repeatedly declared love for the team and the club: the cost of the card and the salary really too high for the coffers of the club in via Aldo Rossi. Chelsea consider him out of the project and then send him out on loan again, this time to the team that blew him up, in the hope that he will be able to value again away from Stamford Bridge. And in this last season at Monaco Tiémoué does not hurt, but it is undeniable that the best version of the midfielder of the last three years has been the one seen on the Rossoneri lawn at San Siro. And the Frenchman, also in contact with several former teammates, sends various signals through his agents to be able to return to the shadow of the Madonnina. Let’s try to analyze in detail the pros and cons of a Baka-bis.
VERSUS – It is impossible not to start from the economic issues: the 7 million that the midfielder receives in London are considered absolutely out of parameters by Elliott’s Milan, with the American management that places great attention on controlling the amount of wages. The player, however, has made it clear several times that in order to return to Milan he would be willing to reduce his salary by up to half: working on bonuses, easily accessible and not, and an agreement could be reached on the duration of the contract. Then there is to find the right evaluation on the card, with Chelsea that will not be able to pull too much on the price. The request for 20 million and more made by the Blues does not coincide with the assessments of Maldini and Massara who, thanks to the player’s will, are in no hurry, unlike the Abramovič club, and will try to get a substantial discount. As always, Milan will not participate in auctions and will sink the blow only if the required amount is deemed adequate. Moving away from economic discourses, we need to talk about the character and behavior problems that the Frenchman has shown on several occasions, even in his Rossoneri year. Delays in training and non-positive attitudes are not and will no longer be accepted in the Milan of Stefano Pioli and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who make respect, towards the group and towards the coach, and work ethic two of the cornerstones of the team. If Baka returns to Milanello this summer, many expect a sudden and total change of attitude.
PRO – If, from an economic and behavioral point of view, there are doubts and they are legitimate, the field is in agreement with virtually everyone. Bakayoko is an ideal profile for Mr. Pioli’s two-man midfield, and his modern ball-stealing characteristics would go perfectly with those of Bennacer. Both play a purposeful, vertical and rapid and almost never conservative football. Features that go perfectly with the ideas displayed by the Parma coach, especially in the post lockdown championship. Milan relies so much on players of good leg and personality, accustomed to playing forward, who manage to steal game times from the opponent and who always make the most of the vertical lines available, even at the cost of forcing the game. Baka would also offer additional inches and physical strength, in a midfield that inevitably will have to guarantee a lot of quantity to balance a purely offensive line-up. Even without certainty of ownership, in a period in which it will be played every three days for a long time and with the possibility of being used frequently, a profile with international experience like Bakayoko could only be useful. In fact, the Frenchman is among the few in the Rossoneri squad to have appearances in the Champions League, as well as in three of the five major European leagues.
BACK – Bakayoko can therefore become one of the summer hits, with the Rossoneri management working with the lights off to be able to find the square both with the player and with Chelsea. Should the much sought-after opening arrive then Milan would undoubtedly slip in, bringing back a player who is also appreciated by the fans. Baka or Backto? The answer to the transfer market.
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