Franck Kessie’s free transfer move to Barcelona is expected to be confirmed ‘soon’ after the midfielder completed a medical with the Spanish side.
Kessie has been linked with several leading sides as he approaches the end of his contract at AC Milan, with a host of Premier League clubs believed to have expressed an interest in signing the 25-year-old.
Barcelona appear to have won the race for the Ivory Coast international, however, after reaching an agreement to sign Kessie on a contract worth €6.5m per season.
Fabrizio Romano is reporting that Kessie has completed a medical with Barcelona ahead of the proposed move and an official announcement is expected on the transfer in the coming weeks.
Franck Kessié has already completed his medical tests with Barcelona in Lugano, as reported by @DiMarzio. The verbal agreement has been reached days ago for €6.5m net guaranteed salary. 🔵🔴 #FCB
Official contracts will be completed in the coming weeks. Here we go soon ⏳ pic.twitter.com/3UeXHrfLnX
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 21, 2022
Kessie – who had been linked with Tottenham, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United – has made 215 appearances for AC Milan since arriving from Atalanta in 2017 and has become a key figure for the Rossoneri in recent seasons, scoring a career-best 13 league goals during the 2020/21 campaign.
His arrival could be one of several free transfers secured by Barcelona this summer as the Catalans look to strengthen despite their financial issues, with Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen also believed to be closing in on a move to the Camp Nou.
Kessie’s exit will represent a major blow to Milan, who saw both Gianluigi Donnarumma and Hakan Çalhanoğlu depart for rivals clubs on free transfers last summer.
Milan – who are top of Serie A at present – have also so far failed to agree a new deal for captain Alessio Romagnoli, with the centre-back having been linked with Lazio.
