Aston Villa transfer news: Emery eyes ambitious swoop for Barcelona star

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Aston Villa are reportedly plotting a summer swoop to sign FC Barcelona star Franck Kessie, who snubbed Tottenham last year to join the La Liga giants.

According to Sport, Unai Emery is keen to bring the 26-year-old to the Premier League amid growing rumours that Barcelona are willing to sign Kessie just one year after signing the Ivory Coast international, with Inter Milan also heavily linked with the midfielder.

As per the report, Tottenham remain interested in Kessie having missed out on the former AC Milan superstar last year, with Antonio Conte’s side being rejected by the African dynamo in favour of Barcelona, though a move to Catalonia has failed to work out.

Lauded as ‘perfect’ by pundit Perry Groves, Kessie was one of the best midfielders in Europe last season and looked set to take his game to a new level with Barcelona under Xavi Hernandez. However, the Villa target has failed to hit the heights many expected the Ivorian to reach at the Camp Nou.

And now, just a few months after the move, Kessie is set to leave Barcelona, with Emery’s Villa interested in signing the midfielder alongside Tottenham, who could be the Villains’ main rivals in the race for the 26-year-old La Liga talent this summer.

Indeed, Kessie could flourish in the Premier League given his incredible qualities as a box-to-box midfielder, and for Villa, beating the likes of Tottenham and Inter to the Barcelona star’s signature would be an exceptional coup from the Premier League side, who could also have a perfect partner for Boubacar Kamara.

Villa have to throw all their eggs in the basket to sign Kessie

Kessie would have felt like an unrealistic signing for Villa had Emery not decided to join the club earlier in the season, yet with the Spaniard at the helm, the Birmingham-based side now have the right man in charge to help bring in a certain quality of player that the Villa Park side have lacked.

Whilst Tottenham and Inter pose a real threat for Villa, Kessie could be keen to play under Emery in the West Midlands, the with midfielder having the quality to take the Premier League side to the next level and to potentially put them in contention for a European finish.