According to SPORT, Arsenal have made Franck Kessie an offer to sign him from AC Milan at the end of this season. The 25-year-old has a contract with Milan expiring in the summer of this year resulting in interest from multiple clubs from Europe. He is very close to joining the Spanish giants Barcelona.
Along with Arsenal, there are other Premier League clubs who are interested in signing the Ivorian midfielder. However, only the Gunners have made an actual attempt to sign Kessie after the end of this season. Kessie has been a very important part of the AC Milan squad for long enough and looks set for a new adventure.
Arsenal will be facing tough competition from Barcelona who are in a very strong position to sign the 25-year-old midfielder. Nevertheless, if something goes wrong from Barcelona, Arsenal are ready to pounce and change Kessie’s mind. As per some reports, the offers received for Kessie from the Premier League are ‘unconvincing’. This has in turn made Barcelona the favorites to land Franck Kessie.
Franck Kessie will certainly add a lot to the midfield of Arsenal. The Gunners currently have Thomas Partey who has a similar playing style to that of Franck Kessie. He will certainly be a great addition to the Arsenal team. He might even be licensed to go forward at times to attack with Thomas Partey protecting the defense.
What Arsenal can get out of Franck Kessie?
Arsenal does not have enough depth in the defensive midfield position. If either one of Partey or Xhaka gets injured or suspended then Arsenal have many questions to answer. Moreover, the disciplinary record at Arsenal is not helping the situation either. Franck Kessie is capable of playing anywhere in the midfield, wherever the manager wants him to play.
Kessie is very confident on and off the ball and has barely made any mistakes. Kessie makes 1.1 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game. He attempts 2 long balls and 0.8 key passes per game with a pass success percentage of 88.4% (stats via whoscored). He has high concentration levels that help him not make any mistakes while on the pitch. This brings a sense of reliability both in the manager and also among the fans.
He is a very strong physical player with good passing abilities. Moreover, he also has a good defensive contribution to the team. All of this makes him a perfect midfielder to have in anyone’s squad. He might even start regularly for Arsenal alongside Partey. Xhaka can come off the bench to provide stability and energy onto the pitch in the latter stages.
Franck Kessie is one of those players who has some of the best statistics but very few are aware of him. His contribution is very vital to his team as he links the defense and the attack. Arsenal should be aware of how great competition they will be facing in signing the Ivorian midfielder. They have to offer more than what the Catalans are offering in order to land Franck Kessie’s signature.
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