United’s new bid to gazump Chelsea
MOURINHO GOT LUKAKU, NOW HE’S IN FOR £40m BAKAYOKO
CHELSEA have again been stunned by Manchester United, who are threatening to turn their pursuit of Tiemoue Bakayoko into a tug of war.
Having hijacked a deal for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, United have told Monaco they are prepared to pay more than £ 40million for the 22- year- old midfielder.
Chelsea have been invited by the French champions to improve their offer of £37m, which has not been formally accepted despite the deal being on the brink of completion for weeks.
As of last night, the champions had shown no intention of increasing their bid and remained confident of signing Bakayoko soon. The France international is understood to be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge rather than Old Trafford.
Monaco have proved they are shrewd transfer negotiators, securing impressive fees for a series of players including Anthony Martial to United and Bernardo Silva to Manchester City. They set the price for Bakayoko at £40m plus add- ons and are still waiting for Chelsea to meet it.
They know it will come as another bitter blow to Chelsea manager Antonio Conte if Bakayoko escapes from his grasp and turns up at United as a direct rival.
Bakayoko has been among Conte’s top transfer targets for months, along with Lukaku and Virgil van Dijk.
Officials at Stamford Bridge have been anticipating the Bakayoko signing for some time and still expect him to arrive soon, despite revelations of knee surgery which may rule him out of the start of the season.
The Monaco midfielder underwent a routine keyhole operation last month to clean out a knee which had been causing him pain since February. It postponed a proposed Chelsea medical and delayed a planned move to London.
Bakayoko’s arrival was expected to hasten the departure of Nemanja Matic, who did not take part fully in Chelsea’s first day back at training yesterday.
United boss Jose Mourinho was keen to take Matic to Old Trafford but relations between the two clubs have been soured by the Lukaku hijack.
Inter Milan are also interested in Matic but are unwilling to pay more than £30m.
Chelsea were thrown straight into double training sessions and Conte has a gruelling schedule planned before they fly to Asia.
Diego Costa was not present having been excused the start of pre- season in an attempt to complete his transfer back to Atletico Madrid. There appears to be no way back for him at Stamford Bridge despite Lukaku snubbing Chelsea for United.
Costa is only interested in a return to Atletico, where he will be unable to play until January when the club’s transfer ban ends.
Attempts to hatch a contrived short-term move for Costa to Besiktas seem doomed and the Turks are poised to make another bid for Newcastle striker Aleksandar Mitrovic.
Having missed out on Lukaku, Chelsea will turn their attention to the pursuit of Alvaro Morata, who is valued by Real Madrid at £80m. They also retain an interest in Andrea Belotti of Torino, who has a release clause of £87m.
PARIS SAINT- GERMAIN expect to find out today if they have succeeded in hijacking Dani Alves’s move to Manchester City on a free transfer from Juventus.
City are still confident that Alves will rejoin his old Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola at the Etihad but PSG have made a late bid to try to lure the 34-year- old Brazil right back to Paris.