What’s the deal with Bakayoko?

In recent months there has been a lot of talk around Bakayoko and his future at AC Milan. This all started with the incidents against Lazio as Bakayoko faced racial abuse from many of their fans. It is reported that Bakayoko felt very strongly about the racial abuse he faced in Italy and this could see him ask for a move back to Chelsea.

Now in the past few days reports have circulated that Bakayoko showed up one hour late for training. There are not many concrete facts about the story however, some reports say his car broke down while others say he just ran out of fuel. Many Milan fans thought Bakayoko was a perfect fit for this team as he embraced everything about the club. However it is being reported that this was not the fist time Bakayoko has showed up late for training and other team functions. To go along with this many reports out of Italy state that Bakayoko and the rest of the team have been acting out of character and have had a series of unacceptable behaviours. This incident was reportedly the last straw for Gennaro Gattuso who has now decided to take action against the players and their poor behaviour. Gattuso has decided to send the team on a five day training retreat and fine Bakayoko for showing up late. As for the fine some reports out of Italy state the fine could be up to ninety thousand Euros while others say it is in the thirty thousand Euro range.

Going forward this could have a negative affect on Bakayoko if he is bought by Milan. Before this incident many Milan fans figured Bakayoko would be a no brainer to purchase after his loan expired. As stated before Bakayoko will get a fine from the club and it has been reported that he will not start against Bologna. Since the incident occurred Bakayoko has apologized to Gattuso and the rest of the squad. Bakayoko has been vital to Milan this season and it will be interesting whether they decide to purchase the player.

In my opinion much of the situation has been overblown by the media. There are many reports out there about why Bakayoko was late but in truth none of us know what exactly happened. As stated previously this was the last straw for Gattuso after previous unacceptable behaviour from the whole squad. This one incident was the tipping point to send Milan on a training retreat and that is why it has garnered so much attention. This should not take away from how well Bakayoko has performed throughout the year for Milan. However if the behaviour of Bakayoko has been toxic to the locker room then he should not be redeemed. From the outside looking in nobody has heard anything about unsuitable behaviour in the locker room. Many of what the fans see in reports on social media have been positive aside from this recent incident. Whether Milan wants to fully commit and purchase Bakayoko has yet to be seen but it will depend on his behaviour and whether the new coach wants him at the club.