Report: Arsenal and Tottenham hopes of signing ‘devastating’ £42.5m ace take potential blow

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Franck Kessie will miss the start of the new season after the AC Milan midfielder sustained an injury, damaging Arsenal and Tottenham’s hope of a transfer, per Gianluca Di Marzio.

The Ivorian strained his left flexor in training on Thursday when he felt the muscle harden. Milan sent Kessie for examinations on the issue on Friday morning to assess the full extent of the problem.

Scans revealed Kessie will be out of action for a couple of weeks, with a rough return date of the September international break. The full severity of the issue will not be known for a few more days, and may force AC Milan to dip into the transfer market for a replacement.

Ismael Bennacer and Sandro Tonali are the only two guaranteed to be available for the Serie A opener at Sampdoria. Arsenal and Tottenham will closely monitor Kessie’s situation for news on the injury, with both showing an interest this summer.

Reports by Gazzetta dello Sport claimed Arsenal led the race to sign Kessie from Milan in June. But rivals Tottenham soon joined, per Eurosport. Who reported Spurs have a strong interest in the 44-cap box-to-box enforcer and Fabio Paratici could move for his services.

Any deal for Kessie may cost around €50m (£42.5m) after he scored 14 goals and offered six assists last season. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the only Rossoneri player to score more often than the 24-year-old across all competitions with 17.

Milan’s Kessie injury blow to derail Tottenham and Arsenal transfer plans?

Kessie’s injury may threaten to derail Arsenal and Tottenham’s hopes of sealing a deal with AC Milan. Gunners Technical Director Edu and Spurs Managing Director Paratici may be reluctant to invest large amounts in a player who will be unavailable for the foreseeable. Even if Antonio Cassano claims, via Milan Live, he can have a ‘devastating’ impact.

Kessie would also be unavailable for Mikel Arteta or Nuno Espirito Santo for the Africa Cup of Nations this winter. He will expect Patrice Beaumelle to include him in the Ivory Coast squad for the tournament that runs between January 9 and February 6.

Kessie has only missed one international fixture since June 2019, when rested in friendlies ahead of the AFCON. The Ivorian also scored vital goals against Niger, Madagascar and Ethiopia to qualify for the next edition of the tournament.