Tiemoue Bakayoko’s contract situation is a sticky one.
On the one hand, he’s got a year left on his current deal, and according to SportWitness (who have translated a column from the Corriere dello Sport that you can see below) he’s already turned down one offer to renew his deal.
But there’s also now talk of a “unilateral” extension clause in his existing contract, meaning that from January Chelsea can add another year to his deal and prevent him from leaving for free next summer.
That changes the equation for his potential transfer too – Chelsea aren’t keen to keep him, just keen to get some money for him. It means that, while they would ideally like to shift him now, they can afford one more loan this season, if they’re really desperate, to try and boost his value ahead of a sale next summer.
Let’s face it, it’s easier for everyone if a team just stumps up the cash now.
