Tiémoué Bakayoko
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| Tiémoué Bakayoko | |
| |
| Full Name | Tiémoué Bakayoko |
| Date of Birth | 17 August 1994 |
| Place of Birth | Paris, France |
| Position | Midfielder |
| Chelsea career | 2017 – 2023 |
| Debut | 20 August 2017 |
| Games (goals) | 43 (3) |
| Other clubs | Stade Rennais AS Monaco AC Milan (loan) Napoli (loan) Lorient PAOK |
Tiémoué Bakayoko is a French midfielder who joined Chelsea from AS Monaco in July 2017. Having spent most of the time on loans due to poor performances in a Chelsea shirt in his first season, he left the club in June 2023.
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Before Chelsea
Bakayoko began his professional career with Stade Rennais before moving to AS Monaco in 2014. He rose to prominence in the 2016–17 season, forming a formidable midfield partnership with Fabinho. He was a key figure in Monaco's Ligue 1 title win and their run to the Champions League semi-finals, earning praise for his physicality, ball-carrying ability, and defensive contributions. His performances caught the attention of top European clubs, and Chelsea secured his signature in the summer of 2017.
Chelsea career
Bakayoko was signed to replace Nemanja Matić and bring athleticism to Conte’s midfield. Despite showing glimpses of his potential—scoring in the Champions League and contributing to the FA Cup run—his season was marked by inconsistency, poor passing, and positional errors. He struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League, and his confidence seemed affected by injuries and criticism. Nevertheless, he started in the 2018 FA Cup Final, helping Chelsea defeat Manchester United 1–0.
After his underwhelming first season at Chelsea, Tiémoué Bakayoko spent five consecutive campaigns on loan between 2018 and 2023. He first joined AC Milan in 2018–19, where he enjoyed a solid spell under Gennaro Gattuso and impressed with his defensive work and physical presence. A year later, he returned to AS Monaco but failed to replicate his earlier form amid team instability. In 2020–21, he reunited with Gattuso at Napoli, starting strongly and contributing in both Serie A and the Europa League, though his performances faded in the latter part of the season. He then returned to Milan on a two-year loan, but his second stint was far less successful—he struggled for game time, made few appearances, and the loan was terminated early. Across all five seasons, despite moments of promise, Bakayoko was unable to find consistent form or secure a permanent move, and he never played for Chelsea again after 2018.
Statistics
| Season | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2017-18 | 29 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 3 |
| Total | 29 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 3 |
- Correct as of the end of the 2017-18 season"
Goals
| # | Season | Date | Year | Competition | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue |
| 1 | 2017-18 | 12 September | 2017 | UEFA Champions League | Qarabağ | 4-0 | 6-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 2 | 2017-18 | 14 October | 2017 | Premier League | Crystal Palace | 1-1 | 1-2 | Selhurst Park |
| 3 | 2017-18 | 12 December | 2017 | Premier League | Huddersfield Town | 1-0 | 3-1 | Kirklees Stadium |
International
Bakayoko received his first call-up to the France senior team in March 2017, replacing the injured Paul Pogba. He played his only match for France on 28 March, coming on at halftime in a 2–0 friendly loss to Spain.
Honours
- FA Cup: 2017-18
