Fabio Paratici arguably made his best signing yet for Tottenham when snapping up Rodrigo Bentancur – now, he looks set to make a similar capture in Franck Kessie.
What’s the story?
Well, the deal for Bentancur will not only go down as one of the best pieces of business in Tottenham’s recent history, but also in Premier League history.
Spurs paid just £16m to sign the Uruguay international from Juventus back in January, which, even before a ball was kicked, seemed to be a bargain, given the fact he was only 24 and boasted over 50 international appearances.
Bentancur has since blossomed into one of the Premier League’s best midfielders, adding goals to his game this season with five in all competitions, as well as two assists.
Now, Paratici is close to pulling off a repeat of that transfer masterclass with a deal for Kessie.
According to SPORT in Spain, Tottenham are leading the race to sign the 60-cap Ivory Coast international, and there are plenty of similarities between him and Bentancur.
Tottenham would have Bentancur 2.0 in Kessie
For a start, Kessie finds himself out of favour at a financially stricken side in Barcelona, who could do with the money from his sale – SPORT believe they want £20m.
That is a similar situation to what Bentancur found himself involved in back in January, before Tottenham offered him an escape route.
In terms of playing style, there are also some similarities between the pair, who are both aged 25.
Both Kessie and Bentancur excel at winning the ball back, as they are strong in the tackle and also superb when it comes to interceptions.
However, they can also find the back of the net.
As aforesaid, Bentancur has found his scoring boots this term, while Kessie impressively netted 14 goals from midfield in the 2020/21 campaign – the last season in which he was playing regularly and his career was settled.
Be sure to keep an eye on Kessie’s situation, as it seems he could soon be moving to Tottenham.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
