LONDON -- Chelsea are closing in on the £35 million signing of Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko, sources have confirmed to ESPN FC.
The Premier League champions identified Bakayoko, 22, as a priority target heading into this summer, and after weeks of negotiations both clubs now expect the deal to be completed once personal terms with the player are finalised.
Bakayoko's arrival at Stamford Bridge will pave the way for Nemanja Matic's departure, with Jose Mourinho keen to bring the Serb to Manchester United and confident of completing a deal that could be worth up to £40 million, before taking his squad to the United States for preseason on July 9.
Chelsea hope that Bakayoko -- who was rewarded for his role in Monaco's run to the Ligue 1 title and Champions League semifinals with a debut cap for France in March -- will be the first of several high-profile signings as they aim to give coach Antonio Conte a squad capable of competing on multiple fronts.
The £35m fee agreed for Bakayoko will make him the most expensive midfielder in Chelsea's history, and the most lucrative signing since the club-record £50m acquisition of Fernando Torres from Liverpool in January 2011, though the Blues expect that figure to be surpassed by the end of this transfer window.
Juventus wing-back Alex Sandro is another name on Conte's wish list, and he has reportedly made it clear that he would like to move to Stamford Bridge.
Talks are also ongoing with Everton over striker Romelu Lukaku, who is Chelsea's preferred choice to replace the unsettled Diego Costa.