Monaco’s stunning season in the French league and surprising run in the UEFA Champions League showcased the club’s superb eye for talent. Unfortunately with every positive there is often a big negative and for Monaco that is the problem of having to sell all its top players.
Tiemoue Bakayoko is the latest on the list of players to leave the French champions. The 22-year-old is not the first player who was signed by Monaco as an unknown and is leaving as a star in the making. Having joined the club in 2014, he has made 63 appearances and has now been signed by Premier League champions Chelsea. Let’s take a look at what makes the giant midfielder so special.
Style of play
The central defensive midfield position has become increasingly popular, as more managers are starting to play two holding players in front of their back four. In recent times we have seen the rise of N’Golo Kante thanks to his endless legwork but the brawler Nemanja Matic has gone relatively unnoticed for his work.
Bakayoko is similar, an underappreciated workhorse who loves a scuffle but still distributes the ball superbly well.
In last season’s star-packed team a lot of Monaco fans overlooked the man who was piecing it all together. He excels in the key area where most holding midfielders struggle, which is positioning and the 6’1” Frenchman seems to have nailed down exactly how to play his role in the team.
The youngster has a wonderful ability to know when to press the ball and when to retrieve it, and frequently steps in to win interceptions.
Although he has a big frame, he can put in a highly effective 90 minutes without the observer even noticing him on the pitch. He’s the less flashy version of Paul Pogba although I would argue that you need him in the team more than his France teammate.
The reason I liken him to the Manchester United man is his dribbling ability, a rarity for defensive-minded players. You will often find a holding midfielder winning the ball back and not knowing what to do with it – Bakayoko has a great habit of picking the ball up and then running his side out of trouble and turning it into an attack.
What impact will he have?
Chelsea is set to let Matic leave the club but even if he stays I expect Bakayoko to slot straight into the first team. He possesses similar qualities to the big Serb but distributes the ball a lot better, in a Cesc Fabrgas sort of way. Antonio Conte’s fractious relationship with the Spaniard means Bakayoko has the chance to be the all-in-one package the team needs alongside Kante.
Fun Fact
During Monaco’s visit to Manchester City in the Champions League, Bacary Sagna’s son, Elias, mistook Bakayoko for Pogba and asked for a photo but his dad stepped in to intercept what could have been a pretty embarrassing moment.
by Nubaid Haroon YouTube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCtMg-fWm7awR41vM1GhVOkA Twitter: twitter.com/rambofyi
The post Football: Chelsea’s Game Plan With Bakayoko appeared first on Felix Magazine.
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