Franck Kessie would prefer to stay at AC Milan next season amid very strong interest from Tottenham Hotspur in a summer transfer, according to Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Ivorian’s future is a thorn in the side of the San Siro outfit after entering the final year of his contract. And there are growing concerns that his future lies away from the Serie A side in the absence of talks.
Milan are yet to have any real dialogue with Kessie or his representatives to discuss a new contract. The 24-year-old, for his part, has already laid down a marker for his demands amid growing interest from Premier League teams.
Kessie would demand that Milan more than double his current €2.2m-a-year (£36k-p/w) wage to keep him at the club. The midfielder believes he deserves to earn in excess of €5m annually (£82.5k-p/w) after a sublime season last term.
He scored 13 goals and offered six assists in 37 Serie A appearances under Stefano Pioli. Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored more (15) for Milan, and trailed only Hakan Calhanoglu (10) and Ante Rebic (7) for assists. But Kessie could now leave with Tottenham keen on a move.
Managing Director Fabio Paratici is exploring the market for options to improve the squad in north London. And Eurosport claim Tottenham have a ‘very strong’ interest in raiding Milan for Kessie, if they believe he would join.
But Spurs could face competition from rivals Arsenal, who Gazzetta dello Sport suggested were leading the race last month. The Italian publication also cite the Rossoneri as setting an asking price of more than €50m (£43m) and that they are prepared to double his wage.
Tottenham face uphill task to sign Kessie from Milan
Tottenham face an uphill task for Paratici to make Milan midfielder Kessie one of his first signings in north London. The Ivorian is happy at the San Siro, while the Rossoneri are willing to come close to his pay demands.
The small gap between Milan doubling Kessie’s wage and his request for in excess of a 100% increase is unlikely to leave enough room for Tottenham to break up the party. Doing so, however, would see Paratici add a sublime addition to Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.
Kessie dominated the Serie A last season in an all-action box-to-box role under Pioli. And it meant he enjoyed his best campaign at the San Siro yet for both goals and assists. But his commanding presence has long been there, with ex-Milan boss Vincenzo Montella once telling Goal: “He is an extraordinary player, a sublime intelligence.”
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