Chelsea are keen to acquire the services of out-of-favour midfielder Franck Kessie. The Blues are still active in the transfer market, as they want to build a side strong enough to win titles.
It has been a busy six months for Chelsea. Todd Boehly is not resting on his oars as he continues to scour the planet for players that could positively impact the fortunes of the Stamford Bridge side. The Blues have spent about €460 million on players this season, with nine players arriving at the club in the summer and another six joining in January 2023.
Despite the acquisitions, Todd Boehly is not satisfied and is keen to bring in more talent. Chelsea already has a loaded squad, but the results continue to be uninspiring. With the transfer window set to shut in about a week, Boehly is still in the market for more signings.
The next player on the radar for Chelsea is Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie. It has been a torrid time for the Ivorian since arriving at Nou Camp as a free agent. With his contract running till 2026, Boehly wants to sign him immediately.
Kessie is on the radar for Chelsea
Chelsea has a bloated squad and is already in a position where it cannot register all its players for the UEFA Champions League. They have to make concessions. Despite the situation it finds itself in, the club is adamant about signing more players this January.
The club has zoomed in on Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie. The Blues are offering the Catalan giants transfer flop Hakim Ziyech in a deal that sees Kessie go the other way. The club has made six signings this January. They include Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk, Benoit Badiashile, Joao Felix, Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana.
In his pre-match press conference on Friday, Graham Potter said their transfer activities this January were over, but Boehly may have other ideas, as Kessie has popped up on his radar. According to Spanish outlet Sport, Chelsea remains interested in signing Kessie and wants to use Zityech to sweeten the deal.
A torrid time for Kessie in Barcelona
Franck Kessie was a part of the Scudetto-winning AC Milan side in 2022. He did not hang around to savour the victory with the Italian giants, as he joined a financially troubled Barcelona in the summer. Since he arrived at Nou Camp, the Ivory Coast midfielder has struggled for game time at the club. Kessie has started just two La Liga games this term as he is out of favour with Xavi.
With Chelsea interested in signing the midfielder, it might be an opportunity to reignite his career. Barcelona is interested in signing former Ajax player Hakim Ziyech. The Moroccan international has underwhelmed since arriving at Stamford Bridge from Ajax in 2020 for a reported fee of £33 million.
Several managers have overlooked the Moroccan international, who is keen to revive his career elsewhere. He featured for Morocco at the World Cup in Qatar, where he showed his talent. Other reports suggest that Chelsea has also offered the former Ajax player to Premier League rivals Tottenham as they hope to snare Spurs’ summer recruit Yves Bissouma.
Former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit still rates Ziyech highly. He claims he could revive his mojo at Barcelona and become a top player. Gullit told Ziggo Sport that Ziyech has never played for Chelsea as he plays for Morocco. He believes that Chelsea has played him in a position that does not suit him. He suggested playing the Moroccan on the right side. AC Milan and PSV are considering moves for Ziyech.
