Barcelona only recently served a transfer embargo for floating the rules in order to sign underage players. Keen to strengthen the team, they are scouting throughout the world for the finest young talent. According to Italian source itasportspress.it, Barcelona have set their sights upon Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie, who is also on the wish list of Tottenham and Chelsea. The 20-year-old defensive midfielder has been receiving a lot of attention of late. Atalanta doing well in the Italian Serie A continues to be a major reason.
After having come through the ranks at Atalanta, Kessie has been in the first team only since last season. He has been almost a first-team regular with 16 appearances in the Serie A. More importantly, he has come up with returns of six goals and two assists in these games. It is not a surprise that he is now linked with some of the biggest clubs in the world.
Atalanta are expected to demand insane amounts for the signature of the 20-year-old. It has already driven Liverpool out of the race for the player. However, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Barcelona remain convinced that Kessie is a player who can enhance the team quite dramatically.
The interest from Spurs is surprising considering that the club only recently brought in the likes of Victor Wanyama. An already crowded midfield is expected to be one of the reasons behind 24-year-old Tom Carroll being set to leave the club in January. Spurs might consider selling one of the players or even doing away with Eric Dier in order to bring in Kessie. The financial muscle provided by the new TV deal is one of the reasons for Spurs showing their interest in the 20-year-old.
It was thought that the construction of the brand-new 60,000 seater stadium, which is expected to require £600 million, would slow down Tottenham in terms of the transfer market. This does not appear to be the case, as Mauricio Pochettino is targeting an extremely strong midfield in order to handle the rigours of the long campaign.
Tottenham are reported to have prepared a £23 million offer for the player, but it is unlikely that a deal could be done at this price range. Atalanta have a major positive element in the discussions with the players still having more than four years left on his contract.
Despite being only 20, Kessie is already a full Ivory Coast international and has made 10 appearances for the team since his debut in 2014. The 20-year-old has also spent time on loan at clubs like Cesena.
