This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
It’s the saga that just won’t go away.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ pursuit of AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie continues to be reported in the press, and this week Italian newspaper Tuttosport (via Sport Witness) claims the west Midlands club are above any other suitors ahead of the January transfer window.
What’s the word?
Reports in Italy suggest that AC Milan are keen on Manchester City outcast Nemanja Matic, but as a result, Kessie is more likely to be pushed closer to the exit door at the San Siro.
Tuttosport believes that Wolves are the front-runners to sign the 22-year-old given their great relationship with the Serie A club.
Patrick Cutrone made the switch this summer in a £16m deal, and his former teammate could follow suit in just a couple of months.
Milan value the Ivory Coast international between €30-35m (£25.75-30m) while Transfermarkt currently rate him at £27m.
Nuno’s tactical decisions opens the door
Before the start of this current campaign, a move for a central midfielder seemed rather unlikely – the club have Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves, Leander Dendoncker, Romain Saiss, and Morgan Gibbs-White as viable options.
But that has changed somewhat in recent weeks.
Willy Boly’s severe training ground injury has meant that Dendoncker has slid into defence, and he’s done a more than adequate job – in fact, it could well be his best position.
Meanwhile, Gibbs-White continues to battle injury problems of his own.
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These factors combined make a move for Kessie not only seem more probable, but rather necessary as they now lack the depth in central midfield they began the season with.
In addition, BirminghamLive believe the club are chasing that exact position when the transfer window reopens.
Europa League qualification and their subsequent group stage action has seen the squad play more games than they would in a usual season, so strength in depth can only be beneficial going into the future.
As Nuno Santo’s men currently sit eighth in the Premier League and have one foot in the knockout rounds, there’s a very good chance this level of competition continues to take place at Molineux.
Kessie would bring some of that big stage pedigree having played 15 times in the Europa League while Milan fan pages have described him in the past as one of their only true box-to-box talents.
