Why Arsenal should make a January swoop for Franck Kessie
According to Calciomercato, AC Milan midfield general Franck Kessie is on the radar of French champions Paris Saint-Germain and Chinese club Beijing Guoan.
The 21-year-old arrived from Atalanta last summer on a two-year loan deal with an obligation to buy and has been an ever-present figure in the AC Milan team. Franck Kessie has started the 2018/19 Serie A season very well, contributing to Gennaro Gattuso’s side with two goals and an assist in eight games.
With PSG and Beijing Guoan keeping tabs on Franck Kessie, should Arsenal join the race for the midfielder’s signature?
Arsenal have turned the corner with seven consecutive Premier League wins after a disappointing start under Unai Emery.
Emery, after replacing Arsene Wenger, set the ball rolling in the summer transfer window and bolstered his midfield with the signings of Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi from Sampdoria and FC Lorient respectively.
And both Torreira and Guendouzi have done really well in the Premier League so far, proving to be really good additions to the Arsenal squad.
However, midfield ace Aaron Ramsey is out of contract at the end of the campaign and is not close to signing a new deal. Ramsey has confirmed that he won’t leave the Gunners in January, meaning Emery could lose the Welshman for free next summer if a new deal is not agreed.
Hence, with Arsenal set to lose Ramsey in the summer of 2019, Emery must try sorting out potential replacements. The Spanish manager should target Franck Kessie in January to beef up his options in the midfield and remain prepared for the potential departure of Ramsey.
Kessie boasts of a good technique and has combined it with his directness to constantly bully the defenders in the final third.
He is strong, powerful, possesses the burst of pace and does not hesitate to use his exceptional shooting prowess to test the goalkeeper.
The Ivory Coast international brings a lot of energy to the midfield and is not all about pace, power and physicality. Kessie has remarkable athleticism and vision to set his teammates free with incisive passes from the middle of the park.
An excellent reader of the game in the midfield, the 21-year-old uses his anticipation to keep himself away from challenges and does not hesitate to go into 50-50 tackles in the middle of the park.
Kessie is also neat with his passing and distributes the ball effectively. Furthermore, he is also a good dead-ball specialist and is a threat in the box. The Ivorian is someone who can assert his authority with his physicality in the midfield.
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As the season wears on, injuries and suspensions are bound to creep in for Arsenal and the presence of Kessie would help the team in the long run. To put things into perspective, Kessie could be a fantastic long-term investment for the Gunners.