Fulham will reportedly battle Aston Villa for Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie, who could be up for sale in January.
According to Futbol Total, Franck Kessie could be the subject of interest from Premier League clubs Fulham and Aston Villa. The Barcelona midfielder could be up for sale in January as the Catalan outfit look to clear out unwanted stars and raise much-needed funds.
Barcelona continue to grab headlines from time to time for their financial troubles. But despite making a considerable outlay in the summer despite their issues, they also brought in a few players on Bosman deals.
Franck Kessie was one of the players that arrived on a free transfer. Andreas Christensen, Marcos Alonso, and Hector Bellerin were the others. The Ivorian midfielder was a coup after a terrific, title-winning campaign with AC Milan.
The primary idea for Barcelona was to integrate Kessie into the lineup and sell one of their other stars, such as Frenkie de Jong. The Dutch midfielder remained at the club despite the Catalans accepting a big Manchester United offer.
🚨 EXCL: El Fulham también está interesado en el fichaje de Frank Kessié y habría subido la oferta del Aston Villa por el jugador. El club inglés ofrecería 19 M£, variables incluidas. #FCBlive 🇨🇮 https://t.co/TN8Mj5RFsi
— Fútbol Total (@FutbolTotalCF) November 13, 2022
While de Jong has not been the preferred starter this season, he certainly is ahead of Kessie in the pecking order. Hence, the Ivorian midfielder has played just over 200 minutes spread across 7 league appearances. Barcelona could thus look to offload the former AC Milan talisman in January and raise some much-needed funds to balance their funds.
It is reported that Kessie is already looking to exit the club in January, with some interest coming from Premier League clubs. Fulham and Aston Villa are also said to remain interested.
Aston Villa have already made an offer for the Barcelona midfielder, as per the report, and Fulham have lodged their proposal. The Cottagers are reportedly willing to fork €19 million, including variables. Marco Silva is keen on adding to his squad in January after a mixed-bag start to the season.
Fulham could have an edge with their offer, as ASton Villa, under Unai Emery, could focus on strengthening other areas. The Midlands outfit have plenty of players in central midfield and could make do without a new addition in January. Emery is keen on bringing a few players from his old club Villarreal, including Pau Torres, to shore up the backline.
Barcelona could be open to dealing with these Premier League clubs at that price. They will make a massive profit six months after landing Kessie on a free transfer. Whether the midfielder is open to leaving a club of such magnitude and joining one of the two mid-table clubs in England could be questionable.
