Franck Kessie 'rejected a move to Tottenham and AC Milan in January'

Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie ‘rejected a move to Tottenham in January and could have returned to AC Milan just six months after leaving’… but the 26-year-old Ivorian ‘was determined to fight for his place at the Nou Camp’

• Franck Kessie has had limited opportunities at Barcelona since joining in 2022
• There were reports that Barcelona wanted to ship him off but he wanted to stay
• It has since emerged he could have come to the Premier League with Tottenham 

Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie reportedly rejected both a move to Tottenham and a return to AC Milan in the January transfer window.

It comes despite the Ivory Coast midfielder only joining the Catalan giants from in the 2022 summer window, where he signed a four-year deal following the expiry of his Milan contract.

Kessie is yet to find his feet at Barcelona and is experiencing a sustained spell outside of the starting eleven for the first time in his career, with just 12 LaLiga appearances all season.

Barcelona boss Xavi has chosen to start Kessie on just two occasions in LaLiga, which prompted clubs in Europe to enquire about his availability.

And according to SPORT, both Tottenham and Milan swooped in for the 26-year-old, but the midfielder is not ready to give up on his Barcelona dream so quickly.

Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie reportedly rejected both a move to Tottenham and a return to AC Milan in January

Xavi has only started Kessie twice in LaLiga this season, but the midfielder is determined to fight for his place

It was understood that Antonio Conte was prepared to give Kessie a way out of his nightmare spell in Spain to help with Tottenham’s top four push, but it never came to fruition. 

Spurs had bolstered their midfield before the start of this season when they signed Yves Bissouma from Brighton for around £30m – and the north London club were looking to sell first or sign a midfielder on loan in January.

It remains to be seen what will happen in the summer but Kessie wants to continue fighting for his place as long as Xavi wants him to stay at the club.

Reports in Spain have previously suggested the Barcelona manager ‘does not trust’ him to perform in his system, however the Ivorian may now be able to break into the first team with first Sergio Busquets facing a spell on the sidelines with an ankle injury. 

The Barcelona captain’s long-term future is also heavily in doubt, which could allow Kessie to take up a more permanent role under Xavi.

Kessie has not yet established himself at Barcelona since joining from AC Milan last summer

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