Tottenham Hotspur dealt huge transfer blow as AC Milan star Franck Kessie ‘signs’ for new club
According to transfer expert Gerard Romero on Twitter (h/t Express), AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie has signed a deal to move to Barcelona at the end of the season, in what is a huge transfer blow to Tottenham Hotspur.
The star is out of contract this summer and is currently running down the last few months of his deal with AC Milan. As such, the player is allowed to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs.
Tottenham were looking to take advantage of that fact and snap up the Ivorian for free in the summer, but it looks like the Catalan club have beaten them to it and already caused transfer heartbreak before the window has even begun.
The Ivory Coast international has played in Italy his entire senior career, but it now looks like he is shaping up to swap Serie A for La Liga next term. His signing will give Xavi a shot in the arm as he attempts to return Barcelona to the top.
Free hit for Barca
This is not the first time Spurs have been linked with Kessie, as the midfield star was eyed by manager Antonio Conte in the winter transfer window in January. Tottenham were expected to renew their interest in the AC Milan man this summer, but that no longer looks like the case.
Romero has now claimed that Kessie and Barcelona have reached an agreement for a free move in the summer, which benefits the cash-strapped Spanish side as they do not need to worry about a transfer fee.
Spurs’ interest in January for Kessie indicates that the club were looking for midfield reinforcements. After going the entire transfer window without signing any new players, they landed Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus in a double sweep.
Bentancur seems to have settled in life at N17 decently well, with the Uruguayan being first-choice for Conte since his move. However, his partners in Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp have been in and out of the team, leading to an unsettled midfield.
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Although the Italian manager has played Pierre-Emile Højbjerg as the constant beside Bentancur, both players have had to take responsibility for all the action in the middle of the park themselves. Another midfield reinforcement may be needed, and in Kessie, an arguable upgrade on Conte’s current options on the pitch can be envisaged.
However, now that the 25-year-old has seemingly agreed to a move to Barcelona in the summer, it may be time for Spurs to look at other options in the transfer market at the end of the season.
