Chelsea’s Bakayoko Rejects Ivory Coast

Chelsea’s Tiemoue Bakayoko has closed the chapter of ever playing for Ivory Coast, choosing France instead.

The 24-year-old is out on loan at AC Milan after seeing playing chances hard to come by at the Stamford Bridge.

A defensive midfielder, the former Monaco play-dictating star has been summoned by his country of birth France only once which turned out to be an exhibition game against Spain about a year ago.

Issues meant he was in the fray to switch his allegiance to erstwhile African champions, Ivory Coast, on whose wish-list he had topped until now.

And quizzed regarding this, Bakayoko’s answer was perhaps not what the African country had anticipated.

“A firm no and I hope they will not come back. I want that episode closed. In fact, I’m a little tired of this debate, I chose and I remain on this choice,” he tells Paris-based publication France Football.

In an attempt at placating whoever it concerns in Ivory Coast following his initial blunt reply, Bakayoko said: “This summer, I’m going to Côte d’Ivoire with my family, my loved ones, I love this country, like the first time I went there with my father, at the age of eleven.”

Timoue has featured sixteen times for AC Milan this campaign as he eyes returning to London with consistent playing time at end of the loan spell in Italy.