Tottenham Hotspur target Franck Kessie seems to be a flavour of the month. Almost every European big guns are vying to secure his signature. And as per the reports from Football Italia, the latest to join the bandwagon are Paris Saint-Germain, with Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea being part of the pecking order.
The Ivory Coast international has been hailed as one of the brightest prospects in the Italian league, notching 7 goals and contributing 2 assists for Atalanta in his debut season.At the tender age of 20, he is already labelled as the new Yaya Toure. What makes him so special?
This wonder-kid is everything a manager wants in his central midfielder. Standing at 6”, he indeed is a powerhouse who could repel off challenges and recycle them into possession. Besides the good close control and ability to pick up a teammate with defence-splitting passes, he has a knack for long distance goals. Turning back the clock, he started off as a centre back but eventually moved forward due to his attacking prowess and now he is hitting the sweet spot consistently.
No doubt, he could improve any teams straight away but does Spurs actually need him? The north London club are already well-stocked with quality midfielders and his attributes share similar shades to Victor Wanyama. The former Southampton man has quickly settled under Mauricio Pochettino’s blueprint. Another exciting point to note, Wanyama too kicked off his career as a centre-back during his time at Celtic and gradually surged to midfield.
With Juventus and Inter Milan dropping off the race as they were not keen to meet Atalanta’s €25 million price tag, Tottenham too could hold onto their temptation and walk away. However, the Seria A club confirmed that they won’t be sanctioning any sale in the January transfer window, having already sold Roberto Gagliardini to Inter for €28 million.
Sky Sports Italia reports that Paris Saint-Germain are ready to pounce for Kessie as soon as the summer window unfolds.
Surprisingly, Kessie was on the verge of joining Sunderland in previous summer but had not racked up enough international appearances to successfully register under the Premier League rules. What a signing he could have been for the Black Cats, who are struggling at the wrong end of the table.
The midfielder is currently at the Africa Cup of Nations and has already reaped up positive reviews. Looking at a number of clubs showing interest, a massive bidding war is expected to take place and it won’t be a surprise if Real Madrid and Barcelona join the party.
In other news, Spurs young striker Shayon Harrison has secured a loan move to League Two side Yeovil until the end of the season. Now’s that an area that is begging for new faces.
