Barcelona make agreement to sign Kessie
Robin Bairner
- 26 Jan 2022 05:18 CST
- 3 min read
Milan midfielder Franck Kessie will be Barcelona’s first signing of the summer, according to reports in Italy.
The Ivory Coast star is out of contract at San Siro and Barca have found an agreement with the 25-year-old to sign him.
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Kessie had previously been linked to a string of major clubs, including Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United, who were all touted as candidates.
Sport Italia reports that while a deal has been agreed verbally, there has yet to be a contract signed. However, all the key issues surrounding the deal have been ironed out and it will be concluded.
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Why Barca have moved for Kessie
Kessie arriving on a free transfer fits into Barcelona’s tighter economic demands at present. With the club in a difficult financial situation, despite a loan from Goldman Sachs that helped to fund the transfer fee for Ferran Torres this January they are having to be clever about balancing their books.
While that has meant several star players have been forced to take pay cuts, it has also meant that they have had to focus their attentions primarily on signing players who are free agents.
Kessie will add experience and a greater degree of physicality to the Barcelona midfield, which is set to be constructed around the slight figures of Pedri and Gavi for years to come. Meanwhile, Sergio Busquets will be 34 by the time next season starts and will increasingly need support.
Barcelona had been tentatively linked with Paul Pogba of Manchester United previously, but the deal to sign Kessie means that is effectively off the table. They would have performed roughly the same function in Xavi’s plans.
Meanwhile, the possibility of adding Alvaro Morata to Barca’s ranks this January is not yet off the table following Juventus’ move to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina, though clearly the financial terms of the deal will need to be right for the Camp Nou side.
