Chelsea told not to waste £32m on 22-year-old France midfielder
Ray Wilkins tells Chelsea manager Antonio Conte to avoid spending big money on Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko this summer
Ray Wilkins has admitted that he would be disappointed to see Chelsea spend £32m on Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko this summer.
The Premier League champions have been heavily linked with a move to sign the defensive midfielder in the 2017 summer transfer window.
Indeed, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is rumoured to have made Bakayoko one of his top targets this summer in the quest to improve his squad ahead of a return to the Champions League.
Bakayoko played a key role in Monaco’s title success last term as the French side beat cash-rich Paris Saint-Germain to the Ligue 1 title.
The holding midfielder was influential in the Champions League too, as Monaco reached the semi-finals before a 4-2 aggregate loss to Serie A giants Juventus.
However, former Chelsea midfielder Wilkins has his reservations about Bakayoko and has warned Conte not to spend big money on bringing the Frenchman to Stamford Bridge.
“I was really disappointed to read they are looking at Bakayoko from Monaco,” Wilkins told talkSPORT.
“He is 22 years of age, French and doesn’t get near the national side, but it was quoted Chelsea might be paying £32m.
“Well, in Nathaniel they have got a footballer that can play exactly the same but just needs an opportunity to get in there and play.
“You have seen already in the two games he has played up to now [at the European Championship] he looks a class act in and amongst people of his own age. Playing with the top quality players that they have at Chelsea, he can only improve week to week.”
Chelsea won the Premier League title in Conte’s first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.
However, the west London side suffered a 2-1 loss to bitter rivals Arsenal in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
