Italian giants Napoli are keen on signing on-loan Chelsea midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko on a permanent basis.
That is according to a report by La Gazzetta dello Sport, as cited by Football Italia.
The Frenchman, who sealed a move to Stamford Bridge from Ligue 1 club AS Monaco back in July 2017, joined Napoli on a season-long loan deal from the Blues last month, after spending last season on loan at Monaco.
Even though the defensive midfield enforcer is only just over a month into his time in Naples, club bosses are already exploring the prospect of signing him on a permanent basis following a strong start to life in Serie A.
And it is claimed that Napoli and Chelsea have already entered discussions about the prospect of a permanent transfer being agreed. However, one part of the deal could prove to be a sticking point as the loan deal to take Bakayoko to Napoli was rushed, meaning no option-to-buy clause was included in the deal.
It was confirmed at the time that Napoli paid a €2million loan fee to land the midfielder, meaning a deal to sign him on a permanent basis could cost the Italian outfit a further €18million to seal the deal. Should that be the case, Chelsea would remain €10million down on the price they were pushing for during the summer, as they looked to move him on in a permanent deal.
However, Chelsea could soon be able to offload Bakayoko on a permanent basis in the not too distant future, with Napoli keen on getting a permanent deal wrapped up as soon manager Gennaro Gattuso commits his future to the club by signing a new contract.
But with Gattuso closing in on a new deal, Napoli could soon seal a deal for Bakayoko, who has no future left at Stamford Bridge.
Should a deal get concluded, the money Chelsea receive from Napoli could be used to help fund a deal for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, who was closely linked with a move to Stamford Bridge throughout the summer transfer window.
Chelsea were keen to bolster their midfield options with the England international but were unable to match the Hammers' £80million valuation after a busy summer in the transfer market. But with the Blues having made a strong start to the season, they may see a reason to loosen the purse strings once again and launch a fresh move for Rice in the New Year.
As well as raising funds for Rice by selling Bakayoko, his departure would also free up a permanent spot in Chelsea's squad.
