Chelsea confirms release of midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko as contract expires

Chelsea Football Club has officially announced the departure of Tiemoue Bakayoko, as his contract with the club has come to an end.

The 28-year-old midfielder was signed by former manager Antonio Conte in 2017, shortly after Chelsea’s last Premier League title victory. However, Bakayoko hasn’t featured for the club since the conclusion of his first season.

During his time at Chelsea, Bakayoko was loaned out to AC Milan, where he played a crucial role in their Serie A title triumph in 2022. He also had loan spells at Napoli and his former club Monaco.

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Bakayoko initially joined Chelsea in a £40 million transfer after helping Monaco secure a surprise Ligue 1 title, playing alongside talents like Kylian Mbappe and Bernardo Silva.

Although Bakayoko had a memorable moment in the blue shirt during the 2018 FA Cup final, playing the full 90 minutes as Chelsea defeated Manchester United 1-0 to lift the trophy, he struggled to meet the high expectations set upon his arrival. Despite earning one cap for the French national team in 2017, Bakayoko failed to consistently deliver at Chelsea.

In addition to Bakayoko, the club has also seen the departure of 12 players who came through Chelsea’s academy, including goalkeeper Nathan Baxter, who enjoyed a loan spell at Hull City last season, featuring in 12 Championship matches.