Franck Kessie has become a talked-about prospect in the transfer market lately, with recent speculations linking him to a move away from Camp Nou in the upcoming January transfer window.
Kessie, who joined the club in the summer transfer window, has endured a difficult start to life in Catalonia. He has failed to carve out a place for himself under Xavi Hernandez’s setup, often struggling with form and competition.
Indeed, the Ivorian has struggled to displace the likes of Sergio Busquets, Pedri, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong as the go-to options for Xavi. As such, he has started in only five matches this season.
In light of his struggles, there were speculations over his January exit. But according to a report from MARCA, it appears Barcelona are having double thoughts over the idea of selling the former AC Milan starlet.
On Monday, the club had a discussion with the player’s representative over the future of Kessie. While it was decided that the player is unhappy with the lack of minutes of Barça, it seems the club are not totally onboard with idea of a sale in January.
The report suggests Barcelona have received three proposal for Kessie in January, two of which have come from Serie A. However, sanctioning his sale would mean Barcelona will be left with shallow midfield unit, where an injury for either of the four first-team stars could severely impact the quality of the side.
Most importantly, Kessie’s sale could force Barcelona to sign a new midfielders. This could make things tricky as the Ivorian is not expected to yield a high revenue in the market while his wages were relatively low.
This means Barcelona are running the risk of once again flirting with the Final Fair Play regulations, especially if they invest in another midfielder. A January sale for Kessie, therefore, appears to be unlikely for the time being.