Maurizio Sarri
Chelsea signed Tiémoué Bakayoko from Monaco for £40million in 2017, with the Frenchman penning a five-year deal at Stamford Bridge. Bakayoko started 24 times in the Premier League in his debut season under former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte but doesn’t seem to have the same trust of current manager, Maurizio Sarri.
Tiémoué Bakayoko was sent out on loan to A.C. Milan in the summer after the arrival of Jorginho from Napoli. Milan have an option to buy the Frenchman and Chelsea should let him go at the end of the season and instead target one of these 3 midfield beasts mentioned below.
The Serbian has been brilliant for Serie A side Lazio in the past couple of seasons. Lazio signed Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Belgian side Genk in 2015 and since the big-money move, the Serb has made 114 appearances in the Serie A and has made quite a name for himself.
Milinkovic-Savic has 10 caps for Serbia and also featured in the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The 23-year-old can play as 6,8 and also in the no.10 role and versatility would give the manager tactical flexibility. The Serb averages 2.9 shots per goal and 1.9 key passes per game this season while also boasting 2.8 long balls per game which shows his ability to play in a much deeper role.
The former Genk man can either play in central midfield, with or ahead of Jorginho & Kante, and will be a brilliant signing for Chelsea.
Adrien Rabiot
Adrien Rabiot was one of the hottest names in the January transfer market but decided to stay at PSG. With his contract running out in the summer, the French international would be a brilliant buy for any club and Barcelona are very much interested in Rabiot.
The Frenchman came through the ranks at PSG having played for both the Under-17s and the Under-19s. Rabiot started 27 times in the league last season and came off the bench 6 times to help PSG win the league. The midfielder averaged 1.5 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and 1.6 clearances per game in their title-winning season. The 23-year-old also averaged 66 passes every game with a success rate of over 92%.
Rabiot’s availability on a free transfer should prompt Chelsea to move in quickly to seal the deal in summer.
Abdoulaye Doucoure
Abdoulaye Doucoure has been one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season. With 3 goals and 5 assists from midfield, the Frenchman has been a pivotal part of Javi Gracia’s Watford team who are currently in 8th place.
But the 26-year-old won’t come cheap, with PSG keeping close tabs on him. Doucoure averages 2.1 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game which shows how strong he is in the defensive aspects of his game. But that’s not just it; he also boasts of 1.6 shots and 1.1 key passes per game, with 2.1 long passes and over 80% pass accuracy making him a complete midfielder.
Doucoure has publicly spoken about his ambitions to play in the Champions League and if Chelsea manage to achieve a top-four spot this season, he could be tempted to make a summer switch to Stamford Bridge.