Franck Kessie was the first senior team signing Barcelona made as part of their 2020 summer overhaul. The Ivorian signed on a free transfer, moving from AC Milan after a successful stint in Serie A.
The 25-year-old was one of the best players in Italy during his tenure, and had a fair bit of pressure on his back when joining Barcelona, even on a Bosman move.
Kessie took time to adapt to Barcelona, though, and has had to settle for a backup role, with the likes of Pedri, Gavi, Frenkie de Jong, and Sergio Busquets taking priority in midfield.
However, he has slowly but surely carved out a place for Xavi. And now that he is finally settling in, the chances of him leaving in the summer seem slim to none.
In fact, his agent has gone on to claim that Kessie will definitely be at the club come the summer transfer window.
“We denied a possible transfer for Kessie, same for player and the club — but fake news is annoying,” his agency said, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.
“The possibility that Kessie may leave Barcelona in the next transfer window is the same as hoping that a snake suddenly develops legs next summer,” they added hilariously.
While he has started just four games out of a total 18 appearances in the league, Kessie has certainly found a place in the hearts of the Barcelona faithful after his 92nd-minute winning goal against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou.
He was also responsible for the only goal of the game against Los Blancos in the Copa del Rey semi-finals, even though it was later given as Eder Militao’s own goal.
With Pedri seemingly injured for another three to four weeks, Kessie will continue to get chances in Barcelona’s current setup. However, with rumours of Ilkay Gundogan bubbling up, it will be interesting to see what lies in Kessie’s future.
