Liverpool have lodged a contract offer to sign Franck Kessie, although the 24-year-old Ivorian midfield powerhouse looks set to stay with AC Milan.
According to Italian journalist Claudio Ramondi on Sportmediaset, as relayed by Sport Witness, Liverpool have made their first move to secure the services of Franck Kessie in the summer transfer window. The Reds are willing to offer him wages worth €8 million per year, but the 24-year-old is ready to stay put at AC Milan.
Kessie has transformed into a powerhouse of a midfielder since joining AC Milan from Atalanta. The player initially arrived at San Siro on a loan deal in the summer of 2017 before having his move being converted into a permanent one two years later, having become a mainstay in the middle of the park for the Rossoneri.
To date, the Ivorian international has made 184 appearances for AC Milan, chipping in with 30 goals and 15 assists along the way. However, with his contract with the Serie A giants expiring next summer, the 24-year-old has become the subject of widespread speculation around his future. And Liverpool are among the clubs keen on signing Kessie this year.
The Reds are still in the market for a long-term replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, who has joined Paris Saint-Germain following the expiration of his contract at Anfield. With the likes of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita often flattering to deceive, and with James Milner in the twilight of his career, it is imperative that Liverpool sign a midfielder this summer.
To that end, Saul Niguez is one of several options on the Merseyside outfit’s radar, while Kessie is a viable target as well, in that he would be more of a like-for-like replacement for Wijnaldum. And it looks like Liverpool have stepped up their efforts to secure the services of the 24-year-old midfield powerhouse.
As per Claudio Ramondi on Sport Mediaset (h/t Sport Witness), Liverpool have made their move for Kessie by offering wages worth €8 million per year. However, swooping the Ivorian away from San Siro will be a tall order for Liverpool, as AC Milan are intent on tying him down to a bumper new deal.
Indeed, Milan can ill afford to lose another pivotal player after Hakan Calhanoglu’s move to local rivals Inter Milan this summer. So while the Rossoneri are only offering him a €6 million-a-year deal, his economic demands are likely to be met, with the player open to staying put at San Siro by snubbing the interest from Liverpool.
What now remains to be seen is if the Reds can do anything else to turn Kessie’s head, with a better offer evidently not enough to tempt him to make the switch to Anfield. If not, they will need to turn their attention towards some other alternative, with Nabil Fekir, Houssem Aouar and Piotr Zielinski also linked with them this summer.