Franck Kessié will be a free agent in a few months, and, despite some rumors, he is now considered unlikely to end up at Barcelona. The Blaugrana see his contractual demands as “exorbitant,” Spanish newspaper, Sport informs.
The midfielder will probably make his decision only at the end of the season to focus on the title race with Milan. According to the publication, he asked for well over €5M per year. That was also the case when the Rossoneri approached him to try negotiating a new contract.
Barcelona believe to have enough quality at the position even if they missed out on Kessié, Sport adds. Moreover, they have trouble accommodating large salaries considering La Liga’s restrictions. Previous reports suggested the Ivorian ace was looking for €8M wages. The Catalans wish to stay in touch with the Milan management to keep tabs on the negotiation.
Juventus are monitoring the situation too. However, they would need to shed some big salaries before adding a new one. In particular, they would have to part ways with Adrien Rabiot and Arthur in the same role. The Rossoneri would clearly prefer that the midfielder transferred abroad. It remains unlikely that he will change his mind and re-up with his current team.
The Premier League powerhouses and PSG are currently leading the race to sign Kessié over the Italian clubs and Barcelona. A clear frontrunner has yet to emerge, and it might not until the summer. That was the case also for Hakan Calhanoglu and Gianluigi Donnarumma last year.