Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie found himself being linked with a move to Inter Milan heavily during the January transfer window.
The Ivory Coast international joined the club only during the summer window but found it hard to make instant impact. With minutes not coming by, he was linked with a return to Italy, where the Nerazzurri were intent on signing him.
While a move did not materialise, Inter Milan continue to hold a strong interest in Kessie and have made him one of their priorities for the summer.
The midfielder and his camp have constantly maintained that they are not looking to leave Barcelona anytime soon.
However, reports in Italy suggested that Kessie had been in regular contact with Inter Milan midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu. The two played together at AC Milan and the Ivorian is said to have been asking him about the Nerazzurri.
Amidst this, Calhanoglu has seemingly launched a charm offensive towards Kessie, claiming that all top players are always welcome at Inter Milan, while also confirming that the two are in constant touch.
Speaking to Gazzetta, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano, the Inter Milan mainstay said: “Kessié is my friend, top players are always welcome here. It’s true that I’m in contact with Frank.”
“Inter move for Kessié? He’s at Barça, but he knows that Inter are on the same level,” he further added.
While Kessie had a slow start to life in Catalonia, the midfielder is gradually growing in stature at Camp Nou. He was one of Barça’s better performers last night as they beat Real Madrid 1–0 in the Copa del Rey semi-final first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The midfielder seems to be earning the trust of manager Xavi Hernandez game by game. But with Barcelona’s financial situation being as it is, they will need to make a few sales in the summer. With Kessie attracting plenty of interest, he could be seen as a sellable asset by the club.
