Milan have another thorny negotiation on their hands as the talks with Frank Kessie have progressed slowly thus far. The Rossoneri do not want a repeat of what happened with Hakan Calhanoglu and Gianluigi Donnarumma. However, they will need to raise their offer to reach an agreement, La Gazzetta dello Sport reports.
Kessie is coming off a tremendous campaign when he was one of the top Milan performers overall. Thanks to few penalty kicks, he bagged 14 goals and provided 6 assists in 50 games across all competitions. Since Ismaeel Bennacer missed a lot of time, he was the true linchpin of the midfield.
The 24-year-old is looking to cash in on his momentum and prolong his contract that expires in 2022. He is currently making €2.2M. Milan offered to nearly double his current salary, but he asked for €6M per year, SportMediaset reports. The two parties could meet in the middle.
The negotiation is at its early stages, and both sides would rather complete it before the start of the next season. His agent George Atangana displayed optimism: “Only a coup could make the President leave Milan.” The Premier League powerhouses would be ready to pounce if he wanted out, the Italian outlets indicate.
Kessie joined the Rossoneri from Atalanta in 2019 for €24M. He will not attend the pre-season camp because he will partake in the Olympics with Cote d’Ivoire. He will be back before the start of Serie A, although he will have to catch up from the physical standpoint.