Tottenham are reportedly close to agreeing personal terms with AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie, placing an €8 million-per-year deal on the table.
According to the reports in Calciomercato, Tottenham have stepped up their pursuit to sign AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie. The Lilywhites are said to have tabled a contract worth up to €8 million per year in annual salary to tempt the 24-year-old to North London.
The Ivory Coast international’s future at San Siro has been up in the air for a while now as the player has only ten months remaining on his existing contract, which is running out in June 2022. Kessie is said to have rebuffed two offers from the Rossoneri so far as he inches closer and closer to becoming a free agent at the end of the campaign.
The Serie A giants recently put forward a five-year contract with a yearly salary of €5 million, including the add-ons, for the first three seasons, after which he will get a pay rise to €6.5 million-a-year. However, the proposal was straightaway turned down by the player, who is demanding a guaranteed annual salary between €6.5 million and €7 million from the first year itself.
Milan have most recently parted ways with Gianluigi Donnarumma and Hakan Calhanoglu for free this past summer after their respective contracts expired. Kessie could likely follow in their footsteps out of the Serie A club rather than accepting a low-ball offer for his services.
Franck Kessie has progressed leaps and bounds since arriving as a talented prospect from Atalanta to join AC Milan. He has become a key feature in the Rossoneri’s midfield and has made 184 appearances for them, netting 30 times while assisting on 15 occasions in the process.
2020/21 was the most fruitful season for the player. He ended with a tally of 13 goals and four assists from 37 Serie A outings, helping his side secure a second placed finish, qualifying for the Champions League. This red-hot form has made him one of the top midfield talents in Italy, with all major clubs, including Liverpool, PSG and Juventus, keeping a close watch on the player’s contractual situation.
The 24-year-old is free to negotiate a pre-contract arrangement with any suitor in January, and Tottenham will hope to persuade the player, having placed a lucrative deal on the table. Kessie would represent another smart piece of business from Tottenham Sporting director Fabio Paratici, who has a keen eye for talents coming out of Serie A and has successfully brought in Pierluigi Gollini and Cristian Romero.
Nuno Espirito Santo is keen to bolster his central midfield options, with Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Winks likely to be offloaded in the near future after failing to impress the Portuguese boss. Also, the current Tottenham roster lacks an energetic box-to-box midfielder who can drive the ball forwards and can chip in with few goals now and then.
Kessie seems to possess the pace and physicality required to adapt to Premier League, and with his goalscoring prowess, he certainly offers an exciting option for Tottenham. Time will tell whether or not the Spurs offer proves good enough to sway the player to North London.
