Jose Mourinho could wreck a second big Chelsea transfer in a week after moving for Monaco star Tiemoue Bakayoko.

Manchester United are understood to be prepared to outbid the champions, whose negotiations for the 22-year-old have hit an impasse.

Chelsea have struggled to get the deal over the line at £37million for the midfielder who helped his club win the French title last season and reach the Champions League semi-finals.

United are ready to offer over £40million to steal him from under the Blues' noses. Although Bakayoko has been enthusiastic about a move to London his hijack would be yet another statement of intent from Mourinho.

Should they succeed it would be a body blow for Antonio Conte who lost his no.1 target, Romelu Lukaku, to the Reds last week.

Tiemoue Bakayoko is a top target for Chelsea (
Image:
AFP/Getty)
Bakayoko helped Monaco win the French title and reach the Champions League quarter-finals (
Image:
Action Images via Reuters)
Jose Mourinho wants to wreck the move for Bakayoko (
Image:
REUTERS)

Bakayoko is understood to have a knee issue which could rule him out for the start of the new season but it is believed it would not prevent a transfer.

Meanwhile Diego Costa is set to demand a loyalty bonus from Chelsea after missing the start of pre-season training yesterday.

The west Londoners say the 28-year-old striker was excused from returning to the club’s Cobham HQ for the first day back with his team-mates.

But Conte no longer wants to work with Costa who is finished at Stamford Bridge.

Talks over a move to Atletico Madrid are continuing and Costa’s representatives are set to ask for his loyalty bonus, claiming he has been forced out.

Costa, whose goals helped the club to their second title in three seasons, revealed last month that Conte had texted him to say that he is no longer wanted.

Manchester United are also keen on Bakayoko (
Image:
REUTERS)
Diego Costa has not returned to Chelsea's pre-season training (
Image:
Chelsea FC via Getty)
Costa is chasing a loyalty bonus from the Blues (
Image:
Mike Hewitt)

The controversial move - unsanctioned by Chelsea - forced the Champions into negotiating with Atletico, the only club that Costa is prepared to join.

Chelsea want £40-50million for the Brazilian-born Spain striker but are unable to use interest from Turkish club Besiktas as leverage as Costa’s primary wish is to rejoin his former club.

Costa has been in Brazil with friends enjoying his summer break in the knowledge that there has been no need for him to follow Conte’s instruction to the rest of the Chelsea squad to stay in shape.

Chelsea have a number of strikers under consideration as potential replacements for Costa now that Romelu Lukaku has joined Manchester United.

Torino’s Andrea Belotti, Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubemeyang and Real Madrid’s Alvaro Morata - a player that Conte has worked with before - are all in the Blues’ sights.

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