Juventus Table Their Proposal for Ivorian Talisman

Juventus have put on hold the chase of other midfielders because they believe they have a real shot at luring Franck Kessié for free in June. His contract with Al-Ahli runs out at the end of the season. He’s on the fence about staying in Saudi Arabia, Tuttomercatoweb reports.

His outfit is trying to persuade him and tendered a two-year renewal with the same wages he’s earning currently, €14M annually. The midfielder hasn’t turned it down but is leaning toward heading back to Europe, where he previously starred for Atalanta, Milan, and Barcelona.

Kessié would have to settle for a lot less to join Juventus, which have done away with the lavish salaries of the past. Their highest-paid recent newcomer is Jonathan David, who pockets €6M per year. Their brass will try to lean on the midfielder’s wish to resume playing in the UEFA Champions League.

The Bianconeri are pursuing another player about to become a free agent, Oscar Mingueza. They’d like to add him in January already, but Celta Vigo have asked for too much for him for now.

The Old Lady appears to have moved on from Guido Rodriguez, who had been the closest target at the position during the ongoing window. According to Matteo Moretto, he’s on the brink of transferring to Valencia on loan from West Ham.

Our Take on Juventus and Kessié

They must have a hunch that he’s raring to return to the Old Continent, as their offer will be no match from an economic standpoint. A quality Bosman addition would free up funds for some summer coups, but it’s possible that their interest is being leveraged by his camp during his extension talks, as it happened with Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.