When Chelsea signed Monaco and France midfielder Tiémoué Bakayoko for £40m in July 2017, fans thought that they had made a major coup.
The Premier League champions had landed one of the key figures for the Ligue 1 champions, and it was believed that this would put them in a good position to launch a brilliant Champions League campaign.
Fans at Stamford Bridge wanted current midfielder Nemanja Matić out the door, and this transfer ushered the way for his move. They clearly believed that this was an upgrade to the Serbian, and they weren’t afraid to show their joy on Twitter.
This is what the fans had to say:
Kante and Bakayoko in midfield next season is going to be difficult to get past great signing! Welcome to Chelsea @TimoeB08 #BakasBlue
— Sam (@Samw100399) July 15, 2017
15th July 2017 The day Chelsea retained their Premier League Title
Welcome to Chelsea @TimoeB08 #CFC
— AM29 (@MorataSZN) July 15, 2017
A great young talent! With Tutoring from Kante and Fabregas, could be one of the top midfielders in Europe within a couple of years!
— Chris (@CDJames003) July 15, 2017
Welcome to Chelsea!!! Can’t wait to see you play!!
— Megan (@megan_442) July 15, 2017
Heart of Midfield
— daniel enninful (@EnninfulDanny) August 6, 2017
Champions league incoming
— CFC/AS.ROMA (@georgelamps) July 15, 2017
Welcome to the 2018 champions league winners.
— Kelvin EH10 (@KLASSIQUUEEE) July 15, 2017
Welcome to the Premier League Champions #BakasBlue
— Moatsem Hadla (@MoatsemHadla) July 15, 2017
KANTE + Baka ….. be scared premiere league be very scared
— Danial Haider (@Dannyboy1472) July 16, 2017
Welcome to the best team in the world. The blue family.
— Manuel Afful (@manuel012346) July 15, 2017
It was a deal that promised so much, but delivered so little. The Frenchman showed glimmers of what he could do in England, but was largely a hindrance for The Blues last season.
The midfielder lacked the ability with the ball at his feet to make the grade at a high-level club like Chelsea, as well as showing positional naivety.
A fairly lacklustre campaign, where the club failed to secure Champions League football saw him loaned to Italian giants AC Milan. However, his start in north Italy has not gone well at all, so much so, manager Gennaro Gattuso may send him back to The Blues after failing to make the grade.
This will disappoint a lot of fans, who either would not have wanted to see him return to Stamford Bridge, or that there would be an improvement from him if he did. It looks as though they may get neither.
This is what the fans had to say when Chelsea let him go on loan:
Announce permanent leave
— Joe (@JScaife25) August 14, 2018
YERRRRRSSSS worst player I’ve ever seen in a Chelsea shirt
— Adam (@adam_york) 14 August 2018
Never come back
— Vybz (@44Vybz) 14 August 2018
FINALLY!!! SELL HIM FOR GOOD. ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH FOR US
— badib (@AdibNaim) 14 August 2018
I’m so happy he is off, he has been a disaster. I really doubt he can play sarri’s envisaged pattern. Best of luck to him in resuscitating his career
— AYAJ (@ay_aj99) 14 August 2018
