Daily Times

LONDON: English Premier League (EPL) champions Chelsea FC are confident of signing AS Monaco and France midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko despite stern competition from rivals Manchester United.

The Old Trafford based club has offered £40 million to the French club in response to Chelsea’s £37m offer, stirring off field rivalry between the two clubs, as both look to pen the young midfielder’s signature.

MUFC had earlier this week signed Chelsea target Romelu Lukaku from Everton, but Chelsea remain confident that the rival club would not succeed in their attempts to hijack Bakayoko, as the player is understood to be keen on a move to Stamford Bridge rather than Old Trafford.

Monaco, however, expect nothing less than a £40m plus add-ons deal and are waiting for Chelsea to respond to their demands.

Chelsea coach Antonio Conte has listed Bakayoko as one of his top priorities for months accompanied by Lukaku, who has already signed with MUFC and Southampton FC’s Virgil van Dijk.

The Monaco midfielder underwent a routine keyhole operation last month to clean out a knee which had been troubling him since February, which put Bakayoko’s Chelsea medical examination at hold and delayed a planned switch to the London club.