According to all the latest updates, AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, who will soon be a Barcelona player, has reportedly already passed his medical to come to Barcelona. The medical apparently took place in Lugano and went swimmingly.
The midfielder has signed a four-year deal that nets him 6.5 million euros annually and will move on a free transfer at the end of the campaign. Since joining Milan in 2017, he’s appeared in 214 matches and scored 36 goals.
According to the reports in Spain, Arsenal had also made an offer to Kessie to sign him at the end of the season, and other Premier League clubs were linked with a move for the 25-year-old too.
But Kessie was reportedly not too impressed with the offer coming out of London while he had Barcelona as an alternative.
The 25-year-old was recently mentioned as a target for Spurs manager Antonio Conte, and it would have been exciting to see this quality box-to-box talent in the Premier League.
Kessie looks like he could have been a perfect fit for Conte’s preferred style of play, but it’s also not too surprising he’s chosen Barcelona.
Xavi has Barca on the way back after a superb start since he replaced Ronald Koeman as manager, and one imagines it won’t be too long before the club become a force again.
Kessie could help them do that and should be the long-term dream replacement for Sergio Busquets in that role in front of the back four.
Tottenham needs to finish in the top four to attract targets like this, but that’s not looking too likely for them now as Arsenal looks the clear favourites to clinch Champions League qualification.
Kessie arrived in Milan in the summer of 2017 when the Rossoneri bought him from Atalanta on a two-year loan with the obligation to buy. Originally, he chose 19 as his shirt number but soon was persuaded by the club’s management to leave it for Leonardo Bonucci, who transferred to Milan a few weeks later; consequently, Kessie changed it to 79. Following Bonucci’s departure in the next summer transfer window, he was offered his original shirt number back yet refused, citing that he does not want to force Milan fans to spend any extra money on his personalized shirts due to yet another number change.
He made his debut for Milan and helped the club to win the first leg of the Europa League qualification match against CS U Craiova on 27 July. On 20 August 2017, in Milan’s opening Serie A match of the season, he scored a penalty in a 3–0 victory over Crotone. In the game against Cagliari on 21 January 2018, Kessie scored two goals, one being from the penalty spot, to give Milan the win.