France international Tiemoue Bakayoko is keen to take the opportunity with AC Milan after making the loan move from Chelsea. The midfielder had a rather difficult debut season with the Blues last term where he struggled to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League but he has now been offered the opportunity to test himself in a new division.

Speaking in a news conference, Bakayoko said: “Italian football is obviously different from English football, but I worked with Conte, an Italian coach, who gave me a taste for what’s to come. That’ll help me settle in Italian football and working with another Italian coach, and I want to thank Milan for bringing me to the club. I think they [Gattuso and Conte] are both similar coaches actually, there is a lot of passion and commitment to what they do. They both bring a lot of grit and determination. I haven’t yet spoken to the coach about my role on the pitch.”

Bakayoko had been expected to take up the void left by Nemanja Matic’s departure to Manchester United last summer but he could not quite make the cut with the Blues where he looked a shadow of his old self. As a result, he dropped out-of-favour under the tutelage of new boss Maurizio Sarri this summer with the Italian choosing to pursue Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic to bolster the midfield department.

Meanwhile, Bakayoko has yet to identify his role under the tutelage of Gennaro Gattuso but one thing for sure that he can anticipate more game time than that received during his time at Stamford Bridge. According to reports, the Rossoneri have the obligation to buy the Frenchman at the end of the campaign and it will be interesting to see whether the midfielder can live up to the expectations of the San Siro side, who are aiming for a top-four finish.