(Football news) According to rumours Franck Kessie is reportedly close to joining Barcelona on a free transfer next season. AC Milan refused to extend his contract due to his huge salary demands, and according to Fabrizio Romano he will earn €6.5 million net per season at Barça once the move goes through.
Kessie usually plays as a number 8 in Milan’s double pivot setup and has scored six goals across this season but it is his overall work rate that has impressed all the clubs around the world . While this season the goals have decreased a fair bit from last season when he touched 13 goals and four assists. Barca’s new manager Xavi is a fan of the 25-year-old’s physical prowess, and even though he might not become a starter immediately, he will be in the mix regularly and can form a formidable midfield trio of De Jong, Pedri and Kessie. There is already a lot of competition in midfield, and the manager wants to add more high profile names to raise the competition in the team.
It is becoming apparent that Riqui Puig will be sold this summer by Barcelona. As the Spaniard is currently the fifth-choice central midfielder in a team that plays with two or three midfielders. Kessie is expected to be Barcelona’s second signing of the season after Andreas Christensen’s move seems as good as done, and Cesar Azpilicueta could also follow in his club teammates footsteps as well if his contract is not automatically renewed for another year or so. Barça are linked with several other players as well, including Ajax’s Noussair Mazraoui who has been offered a €5 million salary package but the deal is still in process and maybe close within a few days. It is clear that Joan Laporta and Xavi still have their eyes set on signing a ‘superstar’, with Erling Haaland being their first-choice.
Kessie signed for Atalanta in 2015 and then in 2017 he signed for Milan for 24 million euros, where he has spent the past five seasons. The 25-year-old is capable of playing in any of the central midfield positions, he plays with a certain intensity and above all helps the defence without the ball due to his positional sense along with that he contributes defensively and offensively also. He’s not elite in technical terms but he has great ability to arrive in the box and score goals last season he bagged 13 goals and this season too he has scored 6 times. Kessie adds work-rate and kilometres, but is not a purely defensive midfielder.
Also read: Azpilicueta and Christensen on the verge of joining Barcelona
