Chelsea Ace Tiemoue Bakayoko States Determination to Follow in Footsteps of Blues Midfield Legend

Chelsea ace Tiémoué Bakayoko has expressed his desire to emulate the successes of his former mentor and Blues icon Claude Makélélé. The 23-year-old was in contact with Makélélé during his time at Monaco, where the former Blues star was the technical director. Bakayoko is set for an extended run in the Chelsea side, following N'Golo Kanté's hamstring injury.

In a candid interview with The Guardian, the talented Frenchman explained his eagerness to become a star for Chelsea, much in the way his compatriot did during his time at Stamford Bridge. Bakayoko stated:

"Everyone has targets, and we all have to set ourselves these objectives and push the boundaries of what we can achieve. Claude Makelele is an example to aspire to.

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"So to have the chance to follow in his footsteps here at Chelsea is a real motivation. Since I started playing football I’ve always dreamed about playing for certain clubs. 

"Chelsea was certainly one of those. When I was little I was inspired by Didier Drogba, and my family always spoke to me about Makelele, so Chelsea’s always been a club that attracted me."

Bakayoko is set to start for Chelsea against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, and will be looking to build upon his impressive early showings for the Blues. Having scored in his side's 6-0 Champions League thrashing of Qarabag, Bakayoko will be keen to get on the scoresheet again for his club in the Premier League.