Franck Kessie is attracting inquiries from two Premier League outfits though may face competition from PSG, Empire of the Kop can exclusively reveal.
The Reds were heavily linked to the midfielder following Gini Wijnaldum’s departure in the summer, though failed to make any further senior additions to the squad beyond Ibrahima Konate in the window.
“I think it is normal that a player like Kessie with an expiring contract can be of interest to many clubs,” a sports agency executive informed Empire of the Kop.
“I know that a couple of clubs in the Premier [League] are asking for some information, but not only the Premier. We know that also PSG has some contact with [George] Atangana [Kessie’s agent]… and AC Milan made an offer that is still valid.
“So we’ll see. The choice is in Kessie’s hands.”
When pressed on the identity of the English top-flight clubs in question, our source didn’t confirm if one of the sides involved is Jurgen Klopp’s outfit.
It’s certainly possible that we’re one of the teams in the equation alongside reported suitors Tottenham, with the London-based outfit said to be close to agreeing a deal for the 24-year-old, according to a tweet from Calciomercato journalist, Rudy Galetti.
This would certainly concur with the update we received regarding the Ivorian’s agent and his personal demands as part of any potential negotiation within or outside of Milan.
“There is a situation about the commission for Kessie’s agent,” our source added. “The situation is that at the start the idea was to stay at AC Milan but AC Milan doesn’t want to pay that type of commission, like with [Mino] Raiola, and he goes to talk with some other clubs.”
One has to sympathise with the Rossoneri if comparisons to the super agent are on point, though it’s a situation that could potentially benefit Liverpool in light of the former Atalanta star’s expiring contract.
We won’t want to become embroiled in a bidding war centred on satisfying Atangana’s personal demands over his client’s, though, given the quality of the player in question, we’d be foolish not to be at least tentatively involved in the conversation.
Jurgen Klopp’s prior comments on the matter of bolstering his squad to negate a possible injury crisis, however, suggests that we’d first need to part ways with one of our current midfielders to create a gap in need of filling.
With the likes of Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson in their 30s, not to mention the injury-prone nature of backup options Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, we can see the middle of the park being a key focus for the recruitment team in future windows.
Whether this will mean that preliminary discussions will take place with Kessie and his agent over the possibility of a pre-contract agreement in January, however, is another thing entirely.
As far as the 24-year-old’s contract circumstances and his age profile are concerned, of course, this would represent a signing well-suited to our sustainable model and transfer policy.