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Gossip: AC Milan 'threaten to return' Chelsea flop, Burnley goalkeeper 'keeping options open' and more

Chelsea flop Tiemoue Bakayoko may be returned to the club early after his loan to AC Milan
Chelsea flop Tiemoue Bakayoko may be returned to the club early after his loan to AC Milan

Transfers can be everything in football.

An entire career can hinge upon the right move, the wrong move or even a failure to move.

But Chelsea flop Tiemoue Bakayoko must be seriously regretting his decision to leave Monaco for west London.

The 24-year-old French midfielder made a huge £40million move to the Blues in the summer of 2017 and endured a miserable first season at the club.

They subsequently loaned him out to AC Milan – who are now threatening to RETURN him due to ‘defects in his game’.

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According to The Mirror, Milan manager Gennaro Gattuso is unhappy. And despite a lack of evidence that the former Italy star has ever smiled, this could spell bad news for Bakayoko.

“Bakayoko has to learn how to get the ball,” Gattuso said. “We must work correctly. It will not be easy.

“One week is not enough to remove the defects of a player. I would have preferred to be managing older, more experienced club players.”

Ouch. Hope they have kept the receipt.

Burnley’s Tom Heaton ‘considering January options’

Meanwhile, Burnley’s stockpiling of good goalkeepers is set to cause a bit of a rift. Who would’ve thought?

After bringing in Joe Hart to help with injuries to Nick Pope and Tom Heaton, Sean Dyche may have a dilemma on his hands.

And that has come after Heaton revealed his disillusionment with a lack of game time after being displaced by Pope for both club and country.

Heaton said: “It doesn’t need a rocket scientist to see that it’s going to be difficult to fit us all in.

“Come the January transfer window, I’ve got to keep my ­options open. The one thing I’ve been consistent about in my career is moving clubs in order to play games.”


Manchester United ‘target Bournemouth star Ake’

And it is telling how much of a mess Manchester United are in that they are now being linked with a move for Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake.

After being denied moves for Toby Alderweireld, Diego Godin, Jerome Boateng and Harry Maguire, Jose Mourinho has had to tweak his search parameters.

The former Chelsea man Ake has come to mind after a scintillating performance as Netherlands beat Germany 3-0 over the weekend.

But the defender has poured cold water on talk of a move. “I’ve seen it pass by but of course it’s rumours,” he told footballoranje.com.

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“This does not say much about my status yet. They are rumours on the internet and as long as I do not hear anything myself, I will not go into that.”

Elsewhere, Eden Hazard has reiterated he would ‘never’ force a move to Real Madrid through, which will cause Los Blancos at least one headache, given that’s their primary move.

Fulham are said to be interested in AC Milan and Argentina defender Mateo Musacchio, presumably to help patch up the worst defence in the league.

Luka Modric has been linked with a move to Serie A and Inter Milan, while Pep Guardiola has confessed he could be tempted to move to Italy later in his career.