CHELSEA are on the verge of shipping unwanted duo Tiemoue Bakayoko and Davide Zappacosta to Serie A, according to reports.
Neither have appeared in a competitive game for the Blues during Frank Lampard’s tenure, having both been shipped out on loan last season.
And the Chelsea boss’ stance hasn’t changed, with club chiefs having been busy trying to arrange permanent transfers for the pair.
According to Fabrizio Romano Zappacosta, 28, will again only depart on loan, however, with Genoa borrowing him until June 2021.
The 28-year-old has agreed on personal terms and will undergo his medical today.
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Genoa will pay a chunk of his £70,000-a-week wages, and could also add fellow Premier League full-back Danny Rose from Tottenham in the coming days.
As for Bakayoko, Romano reveals that AC Milan are still working hard to secure the Frenchman ahead of the upcoming season.
Bakayoko, 26, spent the 2018-19 season at San Siro, making 42 appearances for the Italian giants.
And it’s thought that he would be willing to take a hit on his £104k-a-week wages in order to push through a permanent move.
The midfielder spent last season on loan at AS Monaco, the club that Chelsea paid around £40m for his services back in 2017.
He made 43 appearances in his first season at Stamford Bridge, including in the FA Cup final triumph over Manchester United – but was deemed surplus to requirements by both Maurizio Sarri and Lampard.
Zappacosta, meanwhile, was kept around by Sarri, after having made 31 appearances in his first season under Antonio Conte.
But after just 17 appearances in his second season with the club, Lampard opted to trust youth instead – giving talented young full-back Reece James a chance rather than sticking with Zappacosta.
The Italian was then shipped off to AS Roma last season, although a ruptured cruciate ligament limited him to just nine appearances.
