Tiemoue Bakayoko has been under immense pressure this season after signing with Chelsea last summer and following his not so impressive displays for the Blues, but teammate Thibaut Courtois remains convinced the midfielder will come good next season.
Bakayoko has been one of the most talked about players at Stamford Bridge this season, with the high expectations of his signing being reduced by his poor form throughout the campaign.
He had his moments this season though, shining in Chelsea’s Champions League away game to Atletico Madrid in the group stages. But his lowest point came when Chelsea lost 4-1 to Watford at Vicarage Road in February. The France international was jeered by his own fans after a very poor first half that ended with a red card.
However his form has improved in the last couple of games under Antonio Conte, with his latest coming against Liverpool. The fans seem to like him again and Courtois believes he could be a hit next season.
“It is not easy to settle into a new club, especially one like Chelsea. If results go your way it’s fantastic, everybody will say it’s a great signing. Yet when things go wrong and you’re a big signing, you will get criticism. People forget that he is still a young guy. Maybe his form dropped a bit, but you can see in the last few games he’s been very good again.
He was very strong against Liverpool in midfield and we can be happy about that. His partnership with N’Golo Kante can be a formidable one in midfield next season. Physically they are very strong. It will be really hard for teams to win that midfield battle against us. ”
Thibaut Courtois, Evening Standard
