Barcelona closing in on Kessie signing
FT Desk
- Updated: 27 Feb 2022 20:44 GMT
- 3 min read
Barcelona are closing in on the signing of AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie on a Bosman Transfer, according to Sport.
Kessie has emerged as one of the most sought-after central midfielders in all of Europe over the past year.
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Virtually every major club in Europe has been keeping an eye on the AC Milan central midfielder, whose contract expires at the end of the 2021-22 season.
The Ivorian’s future at San Siro is very bleak and the club has virtually given up hope of him staying past this current season.
Milan offered him a contract renewal worth €5 million per season but Kessie has demanded €9m in order to stay.
It has got to the point now where contract talks between Kessie and Milan have basically collapsed.
What teams are interested in Kessie?
Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham are all admirers from the Premier League, as are PSG and Real Madrid.
Tottenham had made Kessie a primary target in January but failed to do a deal, much to the anger of manager Antonio Conte.
And now, according to Sport, Barcelona are closing in on signing Kessie on a Bosman Transfer this summer.
Kessie’s representatives are said to be in advanced negotiations with Barcelona, who have made great use of the free transfer market recently.
Last summer, Barca signed a host of players on a Bosman, including Eric Garcia, Memphis Depay and the now-retired Sergio Aguero.
Barca splashed big in the January market so will have to be more careful with their money this summer.
Xavi is keen to add some muscle to what is an incredibly gifted, yet lightweight, centre midfield.
Kessie signed for Milan from Atalanta in 2017 and enjoyed the best season of his career in 2020-21, scoring 14 goals in all competitions from centre midfield to take the Rossoneri back into the Champions League for the first time in seven years.
This season, his form has dipped but he remains a much-admired player.
