Barcelona are reportedly the latest club to have shown an interest in AC Milan’s 24-year-old midfield powerhouse Franck Kessie, also a target for Liverpool.
According to Italian journalist Rudy Galetti, Barcelona have joined the race to sign Franck Kessie, with a move likely to be made if he runs down his contract with AC Milan. The 24-year-old Ivorian midfielder has also been linked with a myriad of other big clubs, like Liverpool, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain, due to the potential of him becoming a free agent.
Franck Kessie has come a long way since joining AC Milan from Atalanta. Initially signed on loan in the summer of 2017, his stay at San Siro was made permanent in 2019. Over the last four years, the Ivory Coast international has grown leaps and bounds to become one of the best midfielders on show in Serie A.
To date, Kessie has made 184 appearances for the Rossoneri while chipping in with 30 goals and 15 assists in the process. Milan, though, are sweating over the future of the 24-year-old, who is now in the final year of his deal at the club. Such a situation has alerted some of the biggest clubs in Europe, including Barcelona and Liverpool.
Barcelona are the latest entrants in the race to sign Kessie, who is a viable target for the club, as they appear to be short on quality in the midfield department. Indeed, they offloaded Ilaix Moriba and Miralem Pjanic (on loan) without really bringing in a replacement.
So, Sergio Busquets, Frenkie de Jong and Pedri will once again be shouldering the bulk of the responsibility in the middle of the park, which is far from the ideal situation for Barcelona. On the other hand, Liverpool have chosen not to sign a replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, who joined Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer in the summer.
While Harvey Elliott has stepped up marvellously and is proving to be a potential long-term solution in midfield, it is important to note that James Milner is in the twilight of his career while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has become a peripheral figure. So, with that in mind, Kessie is an option worth considering for Liverpool.
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Apart from Barcelona and Liverpool, the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea, Tottenham and PSG have also been showing an interest in Kessie. And if he indeed runs down his contract with AC Milan, the 24-year-old could become the subject of an all-out transfer battle between multiple clubs. With that in mind, it remains to be seen if Barcelona or Liverpool and usurp other suitors in his pursuit.
