Liverpool look set to blow Barcelona out of the water in their efforts to land AC Milan star Franck Kessie
According to El Nacional, Premier League giants Liverpool are set to spoil Barcelona’s hopes of landing AC Milan star Franck Kessie next summer.
The 24-year-old is one of Rossoneri’s top players but will see his contract at San Siro run out next season. Kessie does not appear to be in any mood to pen fresh terms, putting several clubs on alert. One of the teams in the fray is Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. The German failed to replace Georginio Wijnaldum and appears to have earmarked Kessie as his man.
The Ivorian is coming off an excellent season that’s aw him net 12 goals in 50 appearances as Milan returned to the UEFA Champions League. However, he has failed to replicate the same form this time around and was even sent off in Milan’s Champions League clash vs Atletico Madrid.
Barcelona are in the midst of a rebuild and are ready to offer €15 million as a signing in bonus for Kessie. This pales significantly to the €30 million that Liverpool are putting together. To add to the Catalan side’s woes, the Merseysiders are currently in a better position than them and are counted among Europe’s top teams.
Barcelona has fallen from grace and now faces the uphill task of achieving success without Lionel Messi in the ranks. With them falling short of Liverpool’s offer, Barcelona will have no option but to sell their project to the 24-year-old. Given the colossal mismanagement that has taken place at the club in the last few years, it is easier said than done.
Liverpool, at this point, can offer not only Kessie better financial terms but also a real chance at winning the biggest trophies in the sport. More so, the opportunity to work under a manager such as Klopp has its appeal. The Reds have an excellent first XI but will need an injection of youth in the middle of the park. Jordan Henderson, Thiago Alcantara and James Milner are all in their thirties and will need to be replaced sooner or later.
At 24, Kessie is primed for the big time and could take the next step in his career by moving to Anfield. With Klopp looking to rebuild his next great Liverpool side, the Ivorian has a chance to write his name into club history. Few will argue that Barcelona are a bigger club than Liverpool today. The Catalans will be getting themselves a coup should they manage to convince Kessie to hitch his ride to the Nou Camp.
The Ivorian is not short of options, with Manchester United, Juventus, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain also in the fray. But with Liverpool now preparing a lucrative contract for him, it will be interesting to see where Kessie ends up.
