Chelsea-bound Tiemoue Bakayoko 'perfect' for Antonio Conte as £36.7m transfer nears completion

Tiemoue Bakayoko is the perfect example of a "modern midfielder" and will suit Chelsea manager Antonio Conte's style down to the ground, according to former Blues star Craig Burley.

Bakayoko is close to completing a £36.7m ($46.8m) move to Stamford Bridge from Monaco and will presumably take the place of Nemanja Matic, who is poised to join Manchester United for £40m after refusing to sign a new contract in west London, according to the Telegraph.

Bakayoko delivered a number of impressive displays for Monaco last season as they charged to Ligue 1 glory and reached the last four of the Champions League, and his imminent arrival is being viewed as a shrewd piece of business by the Premier League champions.

The recruitment of Bakayoko, 22, for a smaller fee than the one they will receive for Matic, 28, is testament to Chelsea's well-structured transfer policy.

Burley, who played for Chelsea for eight years in the late 1980s and 90s, is excited by the prospect of seeing Bakayoko patrol the Blues' midfield and believes the burgeoning France star has all the attributes needed to succeed in the Premier League.

"Well last summer all the talk was Fabinho, who still has talk of his transfer being imminent doing the rounds," Burley told ESPN, relayed by The Express.

"But Bakayoko was one of those in there in the middle of the park who did impress as the season went on. Again we go back to all the attributes, he's young, he's physical. He's aggressive in the challenge, he gets around the field, he's tidy on the ball, he's got energy to burn.

"That's what your modern midfielder in the Premier League has to have or is better to have and he's got that in abundance. He's perfect for Conte's style and I think this will happen. I think Bakayoko looks like he's coming into Chelsea."

Bakayoko and Matic are expected to complete their respective moves in the coming days. Jose Mourinho's men were also monitoring the possibility of pilfering the former this summer, but have opted to sign Matic after failing to lure Tottenham Hotspur's Eric Dier and Roma enforcer Radja Nainggolan to Old Trafford.

Manchester United have agreed personal terms with Matic, who will be paid upwards of £150,000-a-week by the Red Devils. Chelsea had spent the last 18 months trying to tie the Serbia international down to a new long-term deal, but their failure has allowed United to swoop in and sign the two-time Premier League winner, who will turn 29 in August.