Tiemoue Bakayoko has endured a nightmarish 18 months since leaving AS Monaco.

The French midfielder was snapped up by Chelsea in the summer of 2017, but it quickly became apparent that he wasn't suited to the Premier League and he struggled to impress.

The decision was taken to loan out Bakayoko the following summer, yet his move to AC Milan hasn't sparked a renaissance and he's continuing to struggle for form.

Manager Gennaro Gattuso opened up on the player recently, honestly noting: “Bakayoko needs to be helped, as he is struggling.

“The tactics haven’t been drilled into his head yet and evidently it’s my fault, we need to do more work with him in training.

Bakayoko struggling at AC Milan

“He has been here for two months and we haven’t yet been able to get him to understand the movements."

Bakayoko has since spoken publicly about his form and has vowed to turn things around, with the Europa League clash against Real Betis proving his first opportunity.

AC Milan lost 2-1 on a disappointing night at the San Siro and sadly, it wasn't the pivotal night that Bakayoko hoped it would be.

The Italian media's savage reaction

In fact, the Italian media have destroyed the Chelsea loanee for his performance and it suggests that his waning career has just hit rock bottom.

Il Corriere dello Sport slammed his display, awarding him a match rating of 4/10 and writing: “You know AC Milan are going to miss possession as soon as he touches the ball.”

Meanwhile, Tuttosport thought he was the worst player on the pitch and also awarded him a 4/10.

The Turin-based paper did give a hint of praise, though, noting: “A good start to the game but then… Lo Celso has too much freedom also because of his lack of defending.”

La Gazzetta dello Sport took quite a personal angle to their analysis, remarking that Bakayoko isn't good enough psychologically and doesn't have the fitness for AC Milan.

If there's any consolation, they awarded him the highest match rating but still a measly 4.5/10.

So, it's becoming increasingly apparent that Bakayoko is in a really bad headspace at the moment and can't snap out of his poor run of form.

It seems the Italian media are having to criticise his performances every week and his chances at AC Milan will only start to decline as a consequence.

There are rumours that he could be returned to Chelsea as early as January and Marseille are a club believed to hold interest in the midfielder.

Perhaps it would be best for Bakayoko to return to France, the country where he proved himself to be a top midfielder and caught Chelsea's eye in the first place

Do you think Bakayoko will ever play for Chelsea again? Have your say in the comments section below.