Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly plotting a Donnarumma-like swoop for Milan star midfielder Franck Kessie amid the player’s contractual uncertainty. According to Gazzetta Dello Sport (via MilanNews), PSG are hopeful of landing the Ivory Coast international on a free transfer come the summer of 2022.
Kessie has entered the final year of his contract at the San Siro. Despite the club’s relentless efforts to tie the 24-year-old down to a new long-term deal, the midfielder’s salary demands in excess of €8m are throwing a spanner in the works.
Milan reportedly had their €6.5m offer rejected by the ex-Atalanta man, who insists on an improved wage package, worth around €8m plus €2m in add-ons. Negotiations between the parties are ongoing, but Kessie’s requests seem likely to blow I Rossoneri out of the water.
After a troublesome first two years at Milan, the Ivorian has hit the ground running under Stefano Pioli’s stewardship. Kessie’s upturn in form coincided with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s return to Lombardy as he now carries a reputation as one of Europe’s finest box-to-box midfielders.
Kessie, who has missed Milan’s inaugural two Serie A fixtures this season due to injury, registered 37 top-flight appearances for Pioli’s side in 2020/21. He tallied 13 goals four assists from those matches en route to helping I Rossoneri claim a runner-up finish and return to the Champions League group stage following an eight-year hiatus.
So it’s no wonder that Milan are desperate to convince Kessie to pledge his long-term future to the club. However, the highly-rated midfielder has a host of admirers across Europe, including Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs transfer guru Fabio Paratici is a big-time admirer of the Rossoneri star and reportedly looks to make him the club’s fourth-highest earner next summer. Meanwhile, the Reds are on the lookout for new options in the center of the park after Thiago Alcantara failed to settle at Anfield.
But both English sides could miss out on Kessie’s signature as PSG explore the possibility of signing Donnarumma’s ex-teammate with a bumper wage offer. The clock is ticking for Milan, who might have to reconcile with losing another significant first-team star due to a lack of funds.