Tiemoue Bakayoko joins AC Milan on 2-year loan

Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko has returned to AC Milan on a two-year loan deal which could be made permanent.

This will be the Frenchman's third spell in Italy since he joined the Blues from Monaco in 2017, most recently spending last season with Napoli under Gennaro Gattuso, who was also his manager during his first spell at San Siro in 2018/19.

Bakayoko enjoyed just one season in the Chelsea first team before being shipped out on his first loan to Milan, with a temporary return to Monaco sandwiched in between his two stints in Serie A.

Although the 27-year-old did feature in pre-season, he was deemed surplus to requirements by Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel and has joined the Rossoneri until 2023.

The conditions of the deal suggest Bakayoko has unsurprisingly played his last game for the west London club. The midfielder's contract is due to expire in June 2023 anyway, and Milan confirmed there is an obligation to buy included in the deal should 'certain conditions be met'.

In a statement, the Serie A club said: "AC Milan is delighted to announce the signing of midfielder Tiémoué Bakayoko from Chelsea FC on a two-year loan, which could turn into an obligation if certain conditions are met."

It was previously reported that Milan are expected to pay between €1m and €1.5m for the loan, potentially worth up to £1.3m to Chelsea, and will part with €15m (£12.8m) if the obligation is triggered - a significant loss on the £36m the Blues paid for the France international four years ago.

Bakayoko was among a number of fringe players the Blues were keen to shift this summer, although the likes of Danny Drinkwater, Ross Barkley and Lewis Baker remain at the club, meaning there is work to do before the 11pm transfer deadline on Tuesday.

A new midfielder is on the club's shopping list - especially after N'Golo Kante aggravated an ankle injury against Liverpool on Saturday - but a move for Atletico Madrid's Saul Niguez now appears unlikely.