Newcastle United are interested in signing Chelsea defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, according to reports in Italy.

The Lowdown: Bakayoko’s Blues career

Arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2017 after a £40m deal rendered him the club's second-most expensive signing at the time, the Frenchman has since failed to impress in west London.

The 28-year-old has made just 43 appearances for the Blues in the past five years, with only 29 of these games having been played in the Premier League.

This is due to the four loan spells he has spent away from the club, with tenures at Monaco and Napoli before two separate stints with AC Milan.

Bakayoko most recently returned to the Serie A giants on a two-year loan deal, which is set to expire next summer.

The Latest: Newcastle’s interest

According to a fresh report by Calciomercato, Italian outfit Monza are keen on signing Bakayoko this summer, but they face 'strong' competition from Premier League sides Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.

The former France international has fallen out of favour at the San Siro under manager Stefano Pioli, with the midfielder having failed to make a single appearance so far this season.

As a result, it is understood that Piolo wants to part ways with the 28-year-old and get his wages off the club’s books, cutting his loan spell early.

The Verdict: Surprise option?

Whilst this link appears to have come out of the blue, Bakayoko’s underlying stats illustrate why Eddie Howe may be interested in welcoming him to St James’ Park this summer.

As per FBRef, compared with positional peers across Europe over the past year, the Milan midfielder ranks in the top two percent for tackles and in the top five percent for pressures and aerials won - he is a seriously destructive presence in the middle of the park.

Previously dubbed a ‘great signing’ for Chelsea by Sky Sports chief Kaveh Solhekol, with the journalist having claimed Bakayoko was ‘incredible for Monaco’ the season prior, the Frenchman certainly had promising talent before he arrived at Stamford Bridge.

Therefore, if Newcastle can get him back playing to his previous best, this could be a good signing for Howe’s squad.