As the summer transfer window heats up, the football world is abuzz with rumors and speculations. One of the latest hot topics revolves around Barcelona’s midfielder, Franck Kessie.
Barcelona are looking to offload the 26-year-old amidst their ongoing financial turmoil, and Juventus seems to be at the forefront of clubs interested in acquiring his services.
Franck Kessie, who has been reluctant to leave Barcelona, might see his playing time reduced in the upcoming season due to the arrivals of Ilkay Gundogan and Oriol Romeu.
This has fueled the possibility of him accepting a departure from the club he has called home for several seasons. A return to Italy has been heavily speculated by Fabrizio Romano, with Juventus showing a keen interest in securing the Ivorian midfielder.
However, negotiations between Juventus and Barcelona have hit a roadblock. The Italian club is eager to land Kessie on a loan-to-buy deal, whereas the Catalans are adamant about a permanent transfer.
According to reports from Calciomercato.com, Juventus is contemplating offering talented winger Federico Chiesa as part of the deal to sign Kessie.
The 25-year-old Italian winger has a market value of €40 million and proved his worth to Juventus in the 2022/23 season, recovering remarkably from a serious injury and contributing significantly with four goals and six assists in 33 games.
Represented by agent Fali Ramadani, who also handles Barcelona defender Marcos Alonso, Chiesa’s potential inclusion in the deal adds an intriguing twist to the negotiations.
For Barcelona, this proposition offers an enticing opportunity to bolster their attacking options. While they already possess an array of attacking talent, a player of Chiesa’s caliber could bring versatility and dynamism to their frontline.
But the plot thickens further, as other reports suggest that Manchester United is also keen on signing Federico Chiesa from Juventus. The versatile Italian forward has drawn interest from arch-rivals Liverpool as well. Juventus, aiming to make a significant profit this summer, could be willing to entertain offers in the region of €50 million for Chiesa.
Manchester United’s interest in Chiesa comes as they continue their pursuit of a new number nine, seeking to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure. While Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund remains their priority for the striker role, the allure of signing Chiesa as a different profile of attacker adds depth to United’s attacking options.