Why Franck Kessie would be a brilliant signing for West Ham

Back in March, a report from the Tuttosport (h/t Calciomercato) had claimed that West Ham were interested in AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie.

Franck Kessie, 22, has spent the last two seasons on loan at San Siro from fellow Italian outfit Atalanta, finally making his move permanent in June for €24m.

The all-action midfielder made 34 appearances in Serie A last season and scored seven goals as Milan finished fifth but missed out on Champions League football.

However, the Ivory Coast international was benched for new arrival Rade Krunic in the 2-1 defeat to Lazio last weekend. Despite Kessie not having the best of seasons in the Serie A, West Ham should reignite their interest in him during the winter transfer window.

West Ham are woefully struggling at the moment and need to improve a lot if they are to achieve a top-six finish.

Manuel Pellegrini needs to turn things around quickly before matters turn from bad to worse. There are few areas the Chilean should improve in his squad to push his squad in the second half of the season. One of the key areas is the midfield, which has looked devoid of energy and intent in the last few games.

Declan Rice has perhaps been one of the first names on the team sheet this season but even he must improve, while skipper Mark Noble is approaching the final laps of his career at West Ham.

Carlos Sanchez has proven to be Pellegrini’s worst buy at the club and as Jack Wilshere continues to blow hot and cold, it’s important for the east Londoners to target a central midfielder in January.

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In that regard, Franck Kessie would be a good fit at the London Stadium. Kessie would work well as a box-to-box midfielder, a sure upgrade over Noble and the perfect partner for holding midfielder Rice.

The Ivorian is strong, powerful, full of energy, and has a tenacious edge to his game that makes him ideally suited to Premier League football. In the video below, one could get a glimpse of the 22-year-old’s style of play.

Verdict

At just 22, Kessie has plenty of time left ahead of him, and if he continues to develop, he could very well go on to become a real star.

The former Atalanta man could solve West Ham’s midfield problems and if Pellegrini manages to bring him to the London Stadium, it will represent a massive coup.