Juventus are set for a new round of talks with Barcelona over the transfer of midfielder Franck Kessie.
The former AC Milan star could leave Barcelona this summer, given his lack of game time and his clubs’ necessity to sell players.
The 26-year-old had been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, but now could move back to Italy with Juventus, if they can convince the player to join.
Fabrizio Romano has now revealed that Juventus will speak to Barcelona over a move for Kessie, but that they will need to convince him to join, with the Ivorian keen on either staying at the Camp Nou or trying a new challenge in the Premier League.
Should Barcelona sell Kessie?
Although he appeared 43 times across all competitions for the Blaugrana, Kessie started just seven La Liga games last season, and given that Ilkay Gundogan has joined, with Barcelona also keen on adding another midfielder, his opportunities could be set to decrease further.
Barcelona need to sell players amidst their financial difficulties, and Kessie remains one of their most sellable assets, given his age, contract and the teams interested in him. Now would be the perfect time to sell, in spite of his fairly impressive performances.
The highlight of Kessie’s time at Barcelona was the winner in El Clasico which all-but secured the La Liga title, but despite some strong cameo appearances, he is unlikely to establish himself as a starter ahead of Gundogan, Pedri, Gavi or Frenkie De Jong.
If Barcelona can shift his £150k-per-week wages off the books, as well as receiving a transfer fee for a player whom they signed for free, it will have been good business overall for the club, as they aim to strengthen their midfield options rather than giving him a bigger role.