Paris Saint-Germain have reportedly emerged as key rivals to Barcelona in pursuit of 24-year-old AC Milan midfield powerhouse Franck Kessie.
According to a report by Catalan outlet El Nacional, Barcelona are facing stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain in pursuit of Franck Kessie. The 24-year-old midfielder appears to be running down his contract with AC Milan.
Franck Kessie has transformed into one of the best midfielders in Serie A since joining AC Milan from Atalanta. Initially signed on loan in 2017, the Ivory Coast international was signed permanently by the Rossoneri two years later, and he has only gone from strength to strength in this time.
To date, the 24-year-old midfield powerhouse has made 195 appearances for the Serie A giants, chipping in with 32 goals and 15 assists along the way. However, Milan are in a precarious position over Kessie’s future, with the player in the final year of his contract with the club. Such a situation has alerted Barcelona and PSG, among others.
Barcelona chose not to bolster their midfield in the summer transfer window despite offloading Miralem Pjanic and Ilaix Moriba. With Sergio Busquets in the twilight of his career and showing clear signs of decline, the Blaugrana must sign a midfielder who could replace the club captain.
To that end, Kessie is one of the options on Barcelona’s radar, with the 24-year-old being a rather appealing target because he could be a free agent next summer. However, Barcelona are now facing stiff competition from PSG in his pursuit.
PSG, like Barcelona, appear to be in the market for a midfield reinforcement, Casemiro, Frenkie de Jong and Paul Pogba, among those linked with the French giants. The eagerness to bolster midfield is understandable as well, considering Marco Verratti has had his fair share of injuries lately while Ander Herrera and Idrissa Gueye are on the wrong side of 30.
Apart from Barcelona and PSG, Tottenham Hotspur have also been heavily linked with the 24-year-old midfield powerhouse, with reports claiming that Spurs are closing in on his capture. So, it remains to be seen where Kessie heads next if he chooses to run down his contract with AC Milan.
