Tottenham Hotspur are closely monitoring Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, according to Spanish outlet Sport.
Spurs were first linked with a move for Kessie in the January transfer window, submitting a £13m bid to sign him back in December, however, they have returned to the negotiating table with hopes of landing him this summer.
The online news portal claims the Ivory Coast international is one of the players set to leave Barca in the summer as they look to balance their books before the end of June.
It is reported that the La Liga giants must raise funds from player sales in order to be able to hold on to some of their key talents as well as bring in new players with Lionel Messi top of their transfer list.
Kessie’s move to Barcelona has not worked out for both parties, having played an instrumental role for AC Milan last season as they won the Serie A title. He made 39 appearances, scored seven goals, and provided one assist in all competitions.
The midfielder has struggled to make an impact in Spain this season, racking up 39 appearances and making six goal contributions with most of his appearances coming as a substitute for Xavi’s side who are closing in on the La Liga title.
Reinforcement
Kessie is attracting interest from several clubs despite his poor displays for Barcelona including Inter Milan and some Premier League clubs. According to Sport, Tottenham have made an equity and Barca are willing to accept an offer of £22m (€25m) for the Ivory Coast midfielder.
Barcelona are said to be prioritising a direct sale and it is believed that only Premier League teams would be able to meet the club’s demands in the summer, hence Spurs are keen on making a move for Kessie.
He has three years left on his current contract with Barca and he could be ready to cut his stay short with the club for a potential move at the end of the season.
Tottenham have been monitoring Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse this season as they look to try and sign the England international this summer but Kessie has emerged as a serious transfer target.
Club chairman Daniel Levy’s main focus is to appoint a new manager after sacking Antonio Conte while interim manager Cristian Stellini was dismissed after four matches in charge but asking for the price of Kessie shows his intent heading into the transfer window.
Read more: Tottenham ‘pushing’ to seal deal for £60m star but face competition from Liverpool
