Arsenal and Tottenham are reportedly monitoring the situation of AC Milan star Franck Kessie, who will be entering the final year of his contract in the summer.
According to a report from Italian publication Calciomercato, North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur could be set to battle it out for the services of AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.
Having started out at Stella Club in his homeland Ivory Coast, Kessie moved to Europe in 2015, signing for Serie A outfit Atalanta. After a loan stint with Cesena, the midfielder established himself as a regular for La Dea, where he grew into one of the most exciting young talents in the Serie A.
This prompted AC Milan to move for him in the summer of 2017, initially signing him on a two-year loan, before making his transfer permanent last year. During his time at San Siro, the 23-year-old has been a regular in the team, even though there have been a number of managerial changes during this period.
Now, one of the first names on Stefano Pioli’s team sheet, Kessie has started nine of AC Milan’s ten Serie A games this season, contributing with four goals and three assists, helping the Rossoneri occupy the top spot in the table.
The midfielder, though, is set to enter the final year of his current contract with AC Milan at the end of the season, which has put a number of clubs on high alert, including Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.
Arsenal strengthened their midfield unit last summer with the signings of Thomas Partey and Dani Ceballos. However, the latter only joined on a loan deal and should return to parent club Real Madrid at the end of the season, while fellow midfielder Granit Xhaka has struggled to make an impression this season.
Thus, bolstering their midfield unit with an all-action player like Kessie could be a good move, although, at this moment, Mikel Arteta’s side have a more pressing need of a creative playmaker, with Dominik Szoboszlai being linked heavily.
Tottenham, too, have bolstered their midfield unit recently, investing heavily in Tanguy Ndombele last year while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was brought in this past summer. Both players have grown into key components of Jose Mourinho’s team this season, while Moussa Sissoko has also become a vital player.
However, Harry Winks’s future at the club is under question heading into the January transfer window. In addition, Sissoko will be 32 years old by the time the next season kicks off, which would warrant the addition of a new midfielder at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, making Kessie a viable target.
AC Milan, though, have no intention of letting Kessie leave and are planning to tie him down to a new contract. In order to stave off the interest from Arsenal and Tottenham, the Rossoneri have slapped a price tag of €50 million on the Ivorian. It remains to be seen if either of the North London giants decide to launch a move for the 23-year-old.
