AC Milan are not considering triggering a clause in the loan deal of Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko to make the switch permanent, according to reports.
The 27-year-old is currently six months into a two-year loan spell with the Serie A side, where he was expected to push for a place in the starting line-up.
That, however, hasn’t been the case so far, with the player struggling to adapt to manager Stefano Pioli’s style, while the return of Franck Kessie and Ismael Bennacer from AFCON has also seen him slip down the pecking order.
Reports have even suggested that his future at the San Siro currently hangs in the balance, with a potential termination of his loan possible.
The Frenchman joined Chelsea in 2017 from Monaco for roughly £40million, at the time a second-highest transfer fee spent by the club behind Fernando Torres.
Despite the transfer value and promise, Bakayoko only played 43 games for the Blues, going on loan every season since, with switches back to Monaco, Napoli and AC Milan.
In the summer, the midfielder made another loan move to the Rossoneri in a two-year deal that included the option to make the move permanent.
However, he has only had five Serie A starts this season, with three of those resulting in being substituted at half-time and summing up the tough start to life back in AC Milan colours.
Such are his difficulties, Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Pioli will not trigger a €15million (£12.5million) clause in his loan deal to permanently join the club.
On top of that, Calciomercato says that AC Milan could terminate the loan come the end of the season.
It represents a difficult period for the 27-year-old, who former Chelsea and Tottenham boss Antonio Conte believed was destined for great things.
Back in 2018, the Italian coach said: “For sure, he's [Tiemoue Bakayoko] been a good signing for us, you are talking about a player with great experience, an international player.
"He's played many seasons in this country. I think he's a good signing, a good fit and he played a really good game against Liverpool, not only for the goal, but because he worked very hard for the team, with and without the ball. We must be pleased for his signing."
The midfielder’s current deal at Stamford Bridge runs until 2024, meaning another potential loan move could be on the cards if he does leave the San Siro after one season, rather than the planned two.
