Barcelona look to be closing in on a deal for a soon-to-be out-of-contract star.
The player in question is AC Milan’s Franck Kessie.
Kessie, 25, would join current side AC Milan from Atalanta on a permanent basis in July of 2019 after a loan spell at the club.
All told, Kessie has now featured on 205 occasions for the Rossoneri, scoring 35 and assisting 16 in the process.
The Ivory Coast international has also continued to be a key cog in Milan’s side this season, scoring five and assisting one in 21 games.
However, Kessie now looks set to depart the club on a free. The midfielder’s contract expires at the end of June, meaning he can now sign pre-contract agreements with foreign clubs.
And FC Barcelona look set to take advantage of this, with Gianluigi Longari reporting on Tuesday evening that there is a verbal agreement in place between Kessie and Barcelona for when his contract with Milan expires in June.
There is no official signature yet, but Barca are aiming to sort the details with Kessie’s entourage:
? Accordo verbale tra #Kessie ed il #Barcellona per giugno quando scadrà il contratto con il #Milan del centrocampista. Nessuna firma per il momento ma i #Blaugrana puntano ad arrivare alla definizione dei dettagli con l’entourage del giocatore. @tvdellosport
— Gianluigi Longari (@Glongari) January 25, 2022
What does this mean for Frenkie de Jong?
Should Kessie indeed arrive at the club, could that push Frenkie de Jong towards the exit door?
The Dutchman has struggled for form since his move from Ajax and continues to be linked with some big clubs.
And given Barcelona have a number of talented, young central midfielders already on their books such as Pedri, Gavi and Nico Gonzalez, Kessie’s arrival would surely mean at least one player would have to be sold.
Plus, given Barcelona’s recent financial woes, selling De Jong would likely make the most sense.
