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Tiémoué Bakayoko wants to stay with Chelsea and fight for his place with the West London side.
The French midfielder spent last season on loan with AC Milan, but, following the failure of the club to qualify for the Champions League, they decided not to trigger their option to buy.
Bakayoko had a rather mixed year in Milan. Initially heavily criticised for his attitude and lack of fitness by then manager Gennaro Gattuso, he won him and the fans over, and became one of the most impressive central midfielders in Serie A. But then towards the end of the season, old issues reappeared and he was fined for being late for training on several occasions.
Now he has returned to Chelsea hoping to making a better impression there second time round that he enjoyed in his first season with the club. He signed for the club from Monaco for £40 million in July 2017 but his debut season in England was not a happy one, and he was criticised by fans and pundits alike for his poor performances.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.