Tiemoue Bakayoko's rise with Monaco and potential Chelsea role examined

As Chelsea close in on £35m Tiemoue Bakayoko, we look at how Claude Makelele helped his career and where he'd fit at Stamford Bridge.

The Monaco midfielder, a £7m signing from Rennes in 2014, has become one of the most sought-after central midfield players after helping the French club to their first title in 17 years last season.

Antonio Conte looks to be winning the race to capture the 22-year-old's signature - but where would he fit in at Chelsea? And how did Bakayoko become the player he is today? Read on to find out.

Monaco value Bakayoko at £35m, following his key role in their 2016/17 Ligue 1 title win. That's five times what they paid Rennes for his services three years ago, underlining his rise from promising teenager to top class enforcer.

But it was a transition not without its bumps along the way. Bakayoko - just 19 years old when he joined Monaco after a solitary season in the Rennes first team - initially struggled and made only 24 league starts in his first two years at the club.

In fact, his debut was a complete disaster. In August 2014 Leonardo Jardim picked his new signing ahead of club captain Jeremy Toulalan for a home match against relegation battlers Lorient. But inexperienced Bakayoko was out of his depth and replaced after 32 minutes. Monaco lost the match 2-1, while the midfielder lost his manager's trust.