Paul Pogba’s contract with Manchester United is nearing its end and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly looking for a replacement in the middle of the park.
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According to news reports in Italy, Manchester United have upped their interest in AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie. The 24-year-old will be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January, with his deal set to run down at the end of the season. The Ivorian footballer is reportedly on the radar of many top European clubs hoping to seal a bargain free transfer. Meanwhile, with Paul Pogba’s contract with Manchester United nearing its end, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking for a replacement in the middle of the park.
Pogba has had an impressive start to the new season for the Red Devils. The Frenchman has already registered seven assists in six Premier League games for Solskjaer’s side so far. However, the 28-year-old may be allowed to walk away from the club for free next summer, and an extension may be unlikely. He joined United in 2016 from Juventus for a record GBP 89 million transfer fee but has failed to live up to the expectations.
Although his supreme talent has been on the display, he couldn’t perform at his peak on a consistent basis. Therefore the English club is looking at other options, also because of the fact that his wages are too high compared to his returns on the field. As a result, La Gazzetta dello Sport, via Calciomercato, claim United have set their sights on Kessie, who could be recruited as a replacement for Pogba.
Kessie is reportedly demanding GBP 6.8 million salary per year and Milan are only able to pay GBP 5.6 million which means they risk losing him. Meanwhile, the Ivorian’s salary demands won’t be an issue for the Red Devils as they are known to splash money to bring in high profile players.
He joined AC Milan from Atalanta in 2017 and since then has been a regular performer, netting 30 goals and registering 12 assists for the Italian giants with 147 league appearances. Considering the impressive record, it is no surprise that he is being tracked by Totttenham, Liverpool and European champions Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Kessie is reportedly keen on moving to the Premier League when his contract at San Siro expires. As reported by 90min, he has snubbed the latest contract offer from the club. He is now looking at a big move to the Premier League. He sees his playing style as suitable for English football, as per the reports of the same outlet. Kessie is 183 cm tall and is a strong physical presence in the midfield with good ball playing ability.
As of now, Milan are not giving up hope on Kessie. Last week, head coach Stefano Pioli expressed his desire for the player to stay.
“I would like Kessie to sign,” he told the Italian media. “The negotiations go on between the club and his agent, and I don’t think it’s the time to worry.
“With Franck, I only talk about matters relating to the pitch and I always see him as positive and serene, there are no problems.”
AC Milan are currently second in the Serie A points table and are only two points adrift of leaders Napoli who have 18 points. Rossoneri will travel to Atalanta this weekend.
