Having agreed personal terms with Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen, the Blaugrana are said to be extremely close to tying down AC Milan’s midfielder Franck Kessie whose current contract runs out in June.
Reliable Italian transfer journalist Rudy Galetti has asserted that Kessie has taken another step closer to joining Barcelona in the summer transfer window. The Ivorian has reportedly agreed personal terms with the Catalans and has given the green signal on a 6 million euros-a-year contract.
Kessie’s contract with AC Milan expires this summer and he has reportedly maintained his desire to look for a new challenge elsewhere. Since moving from Atalanta to AC Milan in 2017 on loan with an obligation to buy, the midfielder has played a fundamental role in Milan’s resurgence. To date, the 24-year-old has made 212 appearances for the Rossoneri and has scored 36 goals while providing 16 assists.
However, the Rossoneri are set to lose their prized midfield engine this season. The interest from Barcelona is not surprising considering that Sergio Busquets, 33, is not getting any younger, and the Catalan club do not have a player of Kessie’s profile in their ranks.
The midfielder has, thus, emerged as a viable target and his impending free agent status makes him an excellent option for the Catalan club who have been suffering financial turmoil in recent years. This has forced them to turn their eyes towards the free agent market.
Barcelona signed Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia for free last season and acquired Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Dani Alves for free in the winter transfer market this season.
According to Galetti, Kessie has accepted Barcelona’s 6 million euros-a-year contract despite it being slightly lower than some other reported figures, including that of AC Milan. However, the player’s agent is likely to make more money from this deal compared to other clubs.
Kessie might not be the only AC Milan player to join Barcelona this summer. Rafael Leao has also emerged on their radar and the Catalan club are exploring this possibility as a Plan B if they fail to land the signature of Erling Haaland.
