If a report from El Nacional is believed to be true, Liverpool are preparing an offer for AC Milan star Franck Kessié over a potential Bosman move next summer. But they are not alone in the hunt with Barcelona set to rival the Reds to secure the services of the Cote d’Ivoire international.
While the Catalans are ready to offer a €15m signing bonus, Liverpool would splash €30m to rope in the 24-year-old midfielder. Kessie has entered the final year of his Milan deal but is yet to put pen to paper at the San Siro despite prolonged negotiations. His contract situation has alerted a host of outfits and the Ivorian is free to talk to the suitors from January onwards.
Kessie played for the Rossoneri in their Champions League defeat against the Reds a month ago and his performance at the centre of the pitch grabbed the attention of the Anfield crowd who have shown their disgust time and again due to lack of spending. They had yet another quiet window in terms of incomings and the necessity of snapping up new names must be addressed to refresh the ageing squad before it gets too late.
Why Liverpool Need More Strength In The Middle Of The Park
Liverpool are well equipped in the middle of the park with ample options in their ranks. Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, James Milner, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Harvey Elliott are challenging each other for the first-team roles. Yet the summer exit of Georginio Wijnaldum left a void given his consistency and availability week in week out.
Moreover, the likes of Henderson, Milner and Thiago are already in their thirties. Elliott is ruled out for months following a horrific leg injury picked up against Leeds United earlier this season, whereas the likes of Jones, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita are more suited in box-to-box roles or advanced midfield slots. They do not have an outright deep-lying playmaker apart from Fabinho and the arrival of Kessie would restore depth as well as quality at the base of their ‘midfield three’.
The former Atalanta prodigy had a breakthrough 2015-16 season on loan with Cesena which helped him cement a place in Gian Piero Gasperini’s senior set-up. Milan jumped in and struck a deal (two-year loan with an obligation to buy) with La Dea back in 2017 and the player is now closing in on his 200 Il Diavolo appearances having featured regularly for his side. Kessie would be a massive coup for Liverpool if they step up the chase and table a fascinating offer in the coming days.
