Tottenham Hotspur have been linked with a move for Franck Kessie, but Barcelona will not sell him in the January transfer window.
According to a report from 90min, Tottenham are hoping to sign Franck Kessie in January. But Barcelona are looking to weaken their squad by selling the Ivorian midfielder. So the Catalan giants will not let the 25-year-old leave without bringing in a suitable replacement. Therefore, a January move for Kessie seems quite unlikely.
Tottenham are in need of midfield reinforcements, and the physically imposing Barcelona midfielder would have been a quality acquisition. Kessie has not been a regular starter for the Spanish club, and he needs to leave to play more often. A move to Tottenham would have been ideal for him, and Antonio Conte could have gotten the best out of the player.
Tottenham have three impressive midfielders in Rodrigo Bentancur, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Yves Bissouma. However, Conte needs to bring in at least another midfielder so that he can rotate his players and keep them fresh while competing on all fronts.
Kessie could theoretically be a quality long-term addition to the London club. The Barcelona midfielder has the physical attributes to succeed in English football, and Conte could help restore his confidence and belief with regular football at the London club.
Barcelona signed the player on a free transfer from AC Milan, so it was fair to assume that they could be open to selling him for a reasonable price. The Catalan giants need to reinforce the other areas of the squad as well.
Therefore, it seems unlikely that they will look for a replacement for Kessie in January. And it looks like any transfer would have to wait until the summer transfer window at the very least. So while recent reports claimed Tottenham were front-runners to sign the Barcelona midfielder, he is set to remain at Camp Nou.
Tottenham are currently fighting for a place in the top four, and they will need to bring in a couple of intelligent additions during the January transfer window so that they can finish the season strongly and qualify for the champions league.
Meanwhile, it will be interesting to see if Kessie can force his way into Xavi Hernandez’s first team plans during the second half of the season and play more regularly.
