Franck Kessie has reportedly turned down an approach from Chelsea as he does not want to leave Barcelona this month.
According to a report by 90min, Chelsea submitted an enquiry to sign Franck Kessie in the January transfer window. But the Barcelona midfielder has snubbed the approach from the west London club. And the Ivory Coast international does not wish to depart from Spotify Camp Nou this month.
Franck Kessie has seen his progress stutter considerably since joining Barcelona. The 26-year-old arrived at Spotify Camp Nou in a Bosman move on the back of a productive stint with AC Milan. But he has failed to make his mark for Barcelona, with Xavi Hernandez using him sporadically thus far.
The Ivory Coast international has managed only 754 minutes of game time for Barcelona across 18 outings. So Kessie’s future at Camp Nou is uncertain amid widespread speculation surrounding him. And the player’s situation at FC Barcelona has captured the attention of Chelsea.
The Blues have been on a spending spree in the January transfer window, bringing in several players. Noni Madueke became the latest arrival at Chelsea, with Todd Boehly bolstering the attack considerably. But the Chelsea co-owner is also keen on beefing up the midfield unit this month.
That is because N’Golo Kante has struggled with fitness issues, while Jorginho has blown hot and cold. In addition, Denis Zakaria, who had shown signs of improvement in recent outings, is on the sidelines with an injury. So it behoves Chelsea to reinforce the midfield department as soon as possible. And Kessie had thus emerged on their radar.
The Barcelona midfielder is versatile and can reprise different roles in the middle of the park. And he is also proficient on set pieces, as shown during his AC Milan stint. But Kessie does not want to join Chelsea this month and has rebuffed the Blues’ approach. In fact, the 26-year-old is unwilling to leave Barcelona in the ongoing transfer window.
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Meanwhile, Chelsea also submitted enquiries for Yves Bissouma and Moises Caicedo. And they have failed with approaches for both the Premier League-based midfielders. Having also failed to prise Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, it will be interesting to see if Chelsea can bolster the midfield this month.
