Sport has recently reported that Barcelona have identified AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie as a January target. It is understood that the Ivory Coast midfield ace fits the Catalan club’s profile quite well, so Ronald Koeman could make an attempt to strengthen his squad by adding him to his squad during this upcoming winter transfer window.
Kessie’s Decent Run Of Form In Italian Football This Season
Kessie has made a solid start to this campaign as he has been responsible for putting in a run of dominant displays at the heart of Milan’s midfield. The Ouragahio-born talent has been involved in seven matches for the Italian club this season but picked up one red card in the process in multiple competitions.
The 24-year-old proved himself to be a solid presence in central midfield based on his average of 1.0 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, 1.3 clearances, 0.9 key passes and 0.9 dribbles per 90 minutes in Serie A and the UEFA Champions League. He has even been careful when distributing possession in the attacking end of the pitch, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 89.9% in both those competitions (stats via whoscored).
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What Will Kessie Add To Ronald Koeman’s Side?
Kessie can get stuck in with a few solid tackles to make life difficult for the opposition in midfield. He can time his challenges well to earn the ball back at the centre of the park. The Ivory Coast international is even proficient at getting back to offer cover for his teammates at the back. Furthermore, he can create some inviting plays for others around him and is not shy of making a few energetic runs towards the opponent’s penalty box which would make him a good fit for the Catalan giants.
There is no doubt that Kessie will add plenty of bite and steel to Barca‘s midfield and would serve as an ideal long-term successor to Sergio Busquets at the Nou Camp. Koeman is in dire need to add more quality to his first XI this winter so that his Barcelona team can ensure a place in La Liga’s top four and maybe even challenge for a trophy in the second half of this campaign.
Kessie fits the bill perfectly as he could be available for a cut-price fee during the January transfer window as he has got less than 12 months remaining in his contract at San Siro. Therefore, Koeman would be wise to make an offer to land him next year.
