Chelsea are reportedly hoping to terminate the contract of out-of-favour midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko as a matter of priority.
The France international arrived at Stamford Bridge with high expectations from Monaco in 2017, but he has endured a nightmarish spell in the English capital.
Bakayoko has been sent out on loan to Napoli, Monaco and currently AC Milan, having also represented the Italian champions between 2018 and 2019.
The 28-year-old made 14 Serie A appearances as Stefano Pioli's side won the Scudetto last season, but he has not played a single minute of competitive football for the Rossoneri this season.
As well as not making the squad for any of Milan's Champions League games, Bakayoko has also been an unused substitute in 16 Serie A games, supposedly due to an agreement in his loan deal.
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The ex-Monaco man joined Milan on a two-year loan with an obligation to buy for £13m should he make a certain number of league appearances - thought to be 15 - and the Rossoneri would trigger that clause should he play in Serie A once this term.
With Milan reluctant to pay that fee, Pioli has frozen Bakayoko out of his squad, and the Evening Standard now reports that Chelsea believe a contract termination would be best for all parties.
Bakayoko's deal with the Blues runs for another 18 months, and he is paid £120,000 per week under those terms, but Graham Potter does not see a future for the Frenchman in his team.
The report adds that Milan and Chelsea are in talks to end Bakayoko's loan early before the Premier League giants release him from his contract, but in doing so, they would have to pay the midfielder a few million in compensation.
Bakayoko's only appearances for Chelsea so far came in the 2017-18 campaign, where he contributed three goals and three assists in 43 matches across all tournaments under Antonio Conte.
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The 28-year-old played the full 90 minutes as the Blues beat Manchester United 1-0 in the final of the FA Cup, while also starting 24 Premier League games for the then-champions.
Bakayoko could lead a midfield exodus from Chelsea this year, as both N'Golo Kante and Jorginho could depart as free agents when their contracts expire in the summer.
Both men are in talks over new deals, though, and Chelsea have reinforced their engine room with the arrival of 18-year-old starlet Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama, although he is expected to be sent out on loan this month.
Benfica and Argentina star Enzo Fernandez was heavily linked with a switch to West London, but Eagles boss Roger Schmidt has now insisted that the midfielder will not be leaving this month.
David Datro Fofana, Benoit Badiashile and Joao Felix have also arrived at Stamford Bridge during a busy start to the January window for Chelsea, who meet Fulham in Thursday's Premier League West London derby.
Ben Knapton
