Barcelona ready to sell summer signing as Premier League pair ready bids

Robin Bairner

• 14 Nov 2022 12:17 GMT
• 3 min read

Franck Kessie signed for Barcelona in the summer but is poised to make a quick exit from Camp Nou, with two Premier League clubs chasing his signature.

Sport reports that the Ivory Coast international is wanted by both Aston Villa and Fulham, with Barca open to selling a player who arrived on a Bosman deal from Milan in July.

Kessie has failed to make any impact of note at Camp Nou, where Frenkie de Jong has reclaimed the faith of head coach Xavi in midfield, despite persistent rumours linking him with a move to Manchester United.

MORE: Barcelona & Madrid receive €1 BILLION bonus for joining Super League

Meanwhile, Kessie has also failed to displace Sergio Busquets, who despite failing form remains a regular in the Barcelona midfield.

The 25-year-old Kessie, meanwhile, has toiled to play any meaningful role under Xavi. He has started just six club matches all season, including a dead rubber in the Champions League against Viktoria Plzen. Indeed, he has played less than 500 minutes of first-team football this season.

A couple of minor injury problems have hampered him, with a muscular problem preventing him from featuring in the final two La Liga games prior to the World Cup break.

MORE: From Ten Hag to Neville: All the figures Ronaldo has fallen out with

Why Barcelona could sell Kessie

With Barcelona seeking to free up wages in order to add to their squad during the January transfer window, Sport believe that he is a player who could well be sacrificed.

Barca could recoup a significant fee for the midfielder, who arrived as a free agent. It is stated that Aston Villa are willing to pay €14 million for the player but that Fulham are planning a bid that could reach €22m.

Kessie, meanwhile, is valued at €39m by FootballTransfers, yet such an transfer could still be seen as a decent move for Barcelona given that he is presently kicking his heels on their bench, with his value only dropping while he remains peripheral to the squad.