Chelsea have confirmed the departure of 13 players this summer as Tiemoue Bakayoko’s spell at the club finally comes to an end.
The French midfielder signed for £35million in 2017 yet only played 43 times as he was quickly moved out on loan to AC Milan, Napoli and former club Monaco.
Last season saw Bakayoko’s second spell at Milan turn somewhat sour after the Italians opted against playing him for long spells, due to his lack of form and a clause obligating them to sign him permanently if he made a certain number of appearances.
Chelsea considered releasing the 28-year-old in January but have ended up keeping him on their books to the end of June, when his contract will expire.
Live blog: Follow all the latest transfer news and rumours
On Friday, the Blues released their retained list for the end of the 2022-23 season with Bakayoko’s release confirmed.
The statement read: “We thank Tiemoue for his contribution during his season at Stamford Bridge.”
Several academy players are also moving on, including Dujon Sterling who has already signed for Rangers.
Derrick Abu, Prince Adegoke, Nathan Baxter, Juan Familia-Castillo, Byran Fiabema, Joe Haigh, Henry Lawrence, Sam McClelland, Amari Thomas Silko, Ethan Wady and Jayden Wareham have also been released.
