Months without a club, and not a day off
He has not stopped. That was the first thing Tiemoue Bakayoko wanted to make clear when he spoke to Foot Mercato this afternoon, and the rest of the interview boils down to one line: he is ready right now.
“I have been working every day for months, I have never stopped or taken a break,” said the 32-year-old midfielder, who trains with a dedicated fitness coach, ball work included. He reckons he feels better than he did in his best years at Monaco.
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127 Ligue 1 games, and none since last season
The numbers have not gone anywhere. 127 appearances in Ligue 1. 80 in Serie A. 29 in the Premier League. Monaco, Chelsea, AC Milan, the France squad. There is not much about the elite level he has left to discover.
The market reads it differently. A 32-year-old free agent who has not played competitively in months is a gamble, and sporting directors often prefer paying a fee for someone already sharp over taking a free transfer they then have to rebuild physically.
“I am not afraid to put myself on the line”
Bakayoko does not pitch himself purely as a ball-winner. “I can also bring my experience, my knowledge of the very top level into a group,” he said, leaning into the senior-pro role of steering younger players. Plenty of dressing rooms want that profile in September, when the injuries start stacking up and the squad is locked until January.
He says talks have already taken place with clubs in France and Italy. What he is waiting on now is a firm offer. “I am not closing any doors. I am not afraid to put myself on the line by going somewhere people would not expect me to go.”
Free agents are not bound by the deadline. So he has the whole autumn in front of him. Or nothing at all, if the phone stays quiet.
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