Chelsea have set their sights on AC Milan superstar Franck Kessie as Thomas Tuchel eyes midfield reinforcements this summer.
According to Il Milanista, Chelsea are looking to use AC Milan’s interest in Fikayo Tomori to land Franck Kessie in the summer. The midfielder has been identified as an ideal target for Thomas Tuchel as he looks to bring in reinforcements that could be pivotal in ushering in a new era at Stamford Bridge.
Milan and Chelsea were involved in a business earlier this year when Tomori joined the Serie A club on a loan deal, with an option to buy clause set at €28 million. The Rossoneri could ask the Blues to lower the asking fee, however – something that doesn’t excite the Premier League giants, although Tuchel is now ready to offload the defender if he gets Kessie, in return.
The operation could be a little difficult to proceed, as Kessie, valued at €40 million, is indeed one of the core players in Stefano Pioli’s setup. Tomori, in contrast, was brought in as an alternative for Mohamed Simakan and mainly in response to an injury crisis that forced the likes of Simon Kjaer and Mattia Gabbia on the sidelines.
Yet, the Englishman has done an excellent job since joining the Rossoneri. In the absence of Kjaer, Tomori has built a strong defensive foundation alongside Alessio Romagnoli, helping Milan continue their impressive run in Serie A during these early stages of 2021.
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For Chelsea, it serves as an excellent opportunity to lower Kessie’s asking price, especially Tuchel ready to offload Tomori permanently in the summer.
The German tactician has already made some notable changes since his arrival at Stamford, notably bringing the likes of Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta back into the fray while N’Golo Kante has been left out on the bench multiple times. It won’t be surprising to see the Frenchman leave the club in the summer, with Inter Milan among clubs linked with a move.
Kessie, in that respect, should be an ideal target for the Blues. Unlike Kante, the Milan midfielder can venture forward effortlessly and should combine well with someone like Jorginho in the Chelsea midfield. His physically imposing nature, combined with technical brilliance also tune in well with Tuchel’s possession-based game.
However, the west London giants may still have to reach deep in their pockets to secure the services of Kessie, especially with Milan determined to extend his contract that could significantly increase his overall valuation.
