CHELSEA are pricing themselves out of selling Tiemoue Bakayoko with Napoli not interested in paying £15million, reports say.
Bakayoko joined the Serie A side last summer having been told he was not part of Frank Lampard’s plans.
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And after initially impressing at Napoli, and agreement to sign him permanently at the end of the season looked likely.
But after a dip in performances, the Italians are now not willing to meet Chelsea’s £15m fee, and will negotiate, according to CalcioNapoli24.
It is understood Bakayoko wants to stay with Napoli and manager Gennaro Gattuso.
The Frenchman, 26, played at AC Milan under Gattuso, his first loan away from Chelsea.
The following season, he was shipped out to Monaco – the side he left the Blues for in 2017 – for a year.
Bakayoko appears ready to leave Chelsea for good and has put all his efforts into helping Napoli qualify for next season’s Champions League.
His brother and agent Abdoulaye told Si gonfia la rete: “He is focused on finishing the season.
“The goal is obviously the Champions League, he is recharging the batteries for these remaining matches.
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“Not an easy moment? I think this drop in form was common to the whole team.
“He arrived on loan and there were high expectations of him and therefore he ended up more in the crosshairs of critics, he may be an example of the moment.
“He is very focused on this situation of chasing the Champions League.
“In the last few weeks, the situation has been this but it has involved the whole team.”
