Olympique Lyon have reportedly opened talks with Graham Potter’s Chelsea in an effort to bring Tiemoué Bakayoko to the club, according to Fabrizio Romano on Twitter. The French midfielder is currently on loan at AC Milan, but has failed to make a single appearance in any competition this season for the Italian giants.

Bakayoko signed for Chelsea in 2017, during the managerial reign of Antonio Conte (who now manages Tottenham Hotspur). He was the club’s second most expensive signing at the time, costing Chelsea around £40 million.

Understand Olympique Lyon have now opened talks to sign Tiemoué Bakayoko from Chelsea — currently on loan to AC Milan. 🚨🔴🔵 #OL #DeadlineDay

Deal not done with Serie A Cremonese and so OL are now trying. pic.twitter.com/I9Nwu4nms5

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 31, 2023

Bakayoko seemed to have all the necessary attributes to make it big at Chelsea – he has an imposing frame, bundles of energy and is a skilled passer of the ball. Sadly, it never came to be – he picked up multiple red cards while at the Blues and frequently lost possession in dangerous areas.

After two disappointing seasons at Stamford Bridge, Bakayoko found himself being shipped out on loan to various clubs in Europe. Alongside his two stints at AC Milan, he’s also spent time on loan at Monaco and Napoli.

As well as Lyon, Cremonese in the Serie A were also thought to have been interested in the 28-year-old. However, their interest appears to have gone cold for now. No Premier League clubs seem interested even Spurs now under the management of Antonio Conte are not in the frame.

You would think Liverpool could be a potential destination given their obvious shortcomings in the middle of the park

The details of the deal are currently unclear, but more will be revealed as the ongoing talks between the two clubs progress.