Tiemoue Bakayoko’s season-long loan at AC Milan could be cut short, according to reports.
The midfielder has failed to impress since joining the Italian club from Chelsea and there are suggestions that he could return to Stamford Bridge in January. A permanent move to the San Siro certainly seems a no-go at this stage.
Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport has suggested that Milan have given him the next few games to prove he is worth persisting with.
The Frenchman failed to impress at Chelsea last season following a big-money move to the Bridge from Monaco.
And he has similarly struggled for form at the San Siro, where his performances have attracted some criticism.
Some of that criticism came from Milan boss Gennaro Gattuso, whose comments soon after Bakayoko’s arrival at the club immediately suggested that all was not well.
Gattuso was quoted in August as saying: “Bakayoko has to learn how to get the ball. We must work correctly. It will not be easy.
“One week is not enough to remove the defects of a player. I would have preferred to be managing older, more experienced club players.”
It came after Bakayoko was brought on as a substitute and Milan then conceded an equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Napoli, who came back from two down.