Franck Kessie in action for AC Milan (Getty Images)
Back in August 2019, a report from Sky Sports had claimed that Wolves were interested in signing Ivorian international midfielder Franck Kessie from AC Milan. However, negotiations between the clubs failed to reach a positive conclusion after the Black County outfit failed to meet the Serie A giants’ £30million valuation of the 23-year-old.
Kessie ended up staying put at the San Siro and has continued to strengthen his reputation as one of the best young central midfielders in the Serie A.
Frank Kessie started his footballing education at Stella Club in Ivory Coast before moving to Atalanta in January 2015. He started his professional career on loan at Cesena in the Serie B before establishing himself as a first-team player at Atalanta in the following campaign.
The 23-year-old scored 7 times in 31 appearances across all competitions over the course of an impressive debut season in Bergamo. Kessie’s meteoric rise in the Serie A paved the way for a loan move to AC Milan in 2017. He eventually joined the Rossoneri on a permanent deal in 2019.
Kessie has evolved into a key component of Milan’s midfield over the past few years, accumulating 18 goals and 10 assists in 145 appearances across all competitions. A full international for Ivory Coast since 2014, Kessie has collected 42 caps for his nation. He has represented the Elephants at the 2017 and 2019 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho have been the heartbeat of Wolves’ midfield ever since their promotion to the Premier League. The duo has been well complemented by the likes of Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss.
Wolves roped in Vitor Ferreira on loan from Porto in the summer to freshen up their rather stagnant midfield cavalry. The 20-year-old has been restricted to just a single appearance in the EFL Cup and can be viewed as a long-term option, given his lack of senior experience. It remains to be seen whether Wolves opt to sign him permanently at the end of the campaign.
Regardless of that, however, Wolves ideally need another top-quality midfielder to ensure healthy competition for places in the middle. Moutinho is nearing his twilight at 34 while Saiss is out of contract next summer. They would still need another option in that department moving forward, even if Saiss extends his stay at Molineux in the coming months.
Hence, Wolves should make a renewed attempt to sign Franck Kessie from AC Milan when the transfer window reopens in January. Strong and sharp, the Ivorian international has the versatility to switch between box-to-box and defensive roles in midfield. Hence, a potential deal for him would add a lot more depth and quality to Wolves’ ranks.
As evident from his heat map in the Serie A last season, Kessie is a tireless worker who excels with his contribution at both ends of the pitch. The 23-year-old also has a knack for chipping in with goals and assists from a deep position in the midfield, as testified by his track record at AC Milan. Those qualities should make him a perfect fit for Nuno Santo’s system while helping Wolves adjust to life after Moutinho.
It is clear from the above discussion that a dynamic midfielder like Franck Kessie would be a useful addition to Wolves. The Ivorian still has his best years ahead of him at 23, meaning that he would be an excellent long-term signing for the Midlands club.