Positive news seems to be coming from Milan for Manchester United as Franck Kessie could be on the move. The Ivorian midfielder has turned down the new proposal from AC Milan to renew his contract.
This is according to news coming from Italian transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio. As per the reports, Kessie rejected a renewed offer of €6.5million per year put forward by AC Milan. This opens the door for Premier League sides including Manchester United and Arsenal to prepare their bid for him.
Franck Kessie has been an important part of the AC Milan midfield ever since his move from Atalanta. The player is holding out for a wage of €9 million per year, which will force Rossoneri to sell him this January. With Manchester United undergoing serious issues in their midfield, they could try and sign Kessie in January.
KESSIE THE PERFECT OPTION FOR MANCHESTER UNITED
The 24-year-old is an excellent defensive midfielder and have been pivotal in the recent revival of the AC Milan side. Over the last 4 years with the club, Kessie has appeared 196 times across all competitions. During this time he has also contributed to 32 goals and 15 assists from a deeper midfield role. (stats taken from Transfermarkt)
Manchester United has been struggling in the midfield and the problem has become more visible this season. The current midfield includes the likes of Scott McTominay, Fred, Nemanja Matic, Donny van de Beek and Paul Pogba. The only defensive midfield options among them are McTominay and Matic.
Matic is 33 years old and is only a shadow of his former self. McTominay on the other hand is not the best option at the position and the midfield double of him and Fred has been picked apart multiple times already this season.
Kessie could be an ideal signing to fill this defensive midfield role. At 24 he is the same age as McTominay but is much better compared to Scotland International. Kessie is a better passer and had more shot-creating actions than McTominay this season. His 71.4% aerial duels won is much higher than the 54.5% of that of McTominay. Kessie is also better at pressing the ball while getting dribbled past less.
SIGN HIM IN JANUARY OR WAIT FOR THE SUMMER?
The current contract of Kessie with AC Milan will end in the summer of 2022. With the player not renewing his contract, he could start negotiating with other clubs from January. However, if the situation remains the same, AC Milan will try to sell him in January to not let him go for free.
This is good news for the Red Devils, who are in desperate need of a defensive midfielder. Signing Kessie will allow the other Manchester United midfielders to push up while still giving the much-needed bite in the middle. However, it will not be easy as Arsenal and Tottenham are also monitoring the situation.
Hence for United, it will depend on whether they are willing to wait till the summer to pick him and face competition from other sides. Or the Red Devils could try and fix their midfield by signing him in the winter transfer windows.
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