Tiémoué Bakayoko's junior coach has revealed Chelsea have been trying to sign the Monaco star since he was a teenager.

Chelsea are favourites to sign Bakayokp this summer, though he's also been linked with Manchester United and PSG.

Discussing how Bakayoko ended up at Rennes' academy, Pierre-Yves Bodineau told L'Equipe: "Tiémoué is a pure Parisian. In the family, they all love PSG.

"It was I who had handed him trials there, because I am a former player of the club. Right away he made the difference in a tournament. They absolutely wanted him, but the Camp des Loges was too far from home.

"I took care of him, too. But they did not forget him: each year, they returned for the player. But in Montrouge, all the clubs were on track: Chelsea, Monaco, Rennes, Lyon, Auxerre ...

'Paul le Guen absolutely wanted him, though. But his father had validated the choice of Rennes, because he preferred to get him out of the Parisian environment."