Bharath Rammr
Chelsea may be winning the race for Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie after they have submitted an improved the £27 million for the player, but unfortunately for them, the bid was rejected by the Serie A outfit – as per the reports from the Star. Manchester United are one of the primary competitors to the signing of the 20-year-old.
Kessie has attracted a lot of attention following his impressive performances in the Italian Serie A. He has helped Atalanta even challenge for the Europa League place after having finished in the bottom half of the table last season. Kessie has featured in 16 league appearances and scored six goals, an impressive return for a defensive midfielder.
After recently selling Oscar to Shanghai SIPG, Chelsea are clearly in the market for a new midfielder. The situation is similar with Manchester United, who sold Morgan Schneiderlin to Everton. Even though the Frenchman was not one of the first-team regulars at the club, it undoubtedly reduces the number of options that Mourinho has in his midfield. Furthermore, the club are also expected to part company with the likes of Marouane Fellaini at the end of the season.
While Carrick, 34, cannot be expected to carry on at the top level for several years, Fellaini is widely expected to be sold after failing to feature regularly under Mourinho, even though the Portuguese manager regards highly of the Belgian midfielder.
Atalanta have rejected the latest offer from Chelsea. The Italian club remain adamant that they would not sell Kessie this season. As the club are very keen on qualifying for the European football, possessing a player like Kessie and unleashing the weapons would actually help them grow to the next level. If the club sell Kessie and miss out on qualification to Europe, the club would directly come under the criticism of fans and the media alike. However, there is a consensus that Atalanta would be more than willing to let the player go if the transfer fee was around £33 million.
United are yet to come in with an official offer like Chelsea. Even though the club has been linked with a number of names in the January window, United have been able to stay relatively down under the radar in terms of new signings. An announcement regarding the transfer of Victor Lindelof to United seemed close to a possibility even before the start of the window. Now, though, the club seem to have shifted their focus on attacking talent.
Kessie is someone who is regarded as the next Yaya Toure, as he has the power, physical presence and the quality to go up and down the pitch while also chipping in with goals.
