Fabrizio Romano has reported that Barcelona are close to agreeing a deal to sell a midfielder described by many as a “Dominant Force”. The La Liga champions have been active in the transfer market and have already wrapped up a few arrivals and departures. The reliable journalist has given his trademark “Here We Go” stamp to the transfer.
Barcelona Have Reached ‘Verbal Agreement’ for the Sale of Franck Kessie
🚨 Franck Kessié to Al Ahli, here we go! Verbal agreement finally reached with Barcelona for fee around €15m 🟢🇸🇦
Al Ahli and Barça remain in contact to check the documents then sign the deal in the next hours.
Kessié will put paper on three year deal, valid until June 2026. pic.twitter.com/xEb5lq0Jhi
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 4, 2023
Franck Kessie to Join Al-Ahli
Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie seems to be on the verge of completing a transfer to Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli, according to Romano. The Ivory Coast international had joined Barca on a free transfer from AC Milan just last summer, but despite contributing well in the little playing time that he received, he struggled to clamp down a starting place in Xavi’s lineup.
Romano reports that the clubs remain in contact as the final documentations are to be ironed out before signing the deal officially.
He said on his Twitter account “Franck Kessié to Al Ahli, here we go! Verbal agreement finally reached with Barcelona for fee around €15m [£12.9 million]. Al Ahli and Barça remain in contact to check the documents then sign the deal in the next hours. Kessié will put paper on three year deal, valid until June 2026.”
Details of the Deal: How Much Will Barcelona Receive for the Dynamic Midfielder
The transfer market expert revealed that the agreement between the clubs has been reached for a transfer fee of close to £13 million. The former AC Milan midfielder will sign a three-year deal with the Saudi Club, running until the summer of 2026.
Read More: ‘He Wants The Move’: Barcelona Close to Another Signing
The transfer will be a significant boost for the Catalan club’s financial situation, as they will be free of his wages, providing them with more flexibility under La Liga’s strict financial restrictions. The 26-year-old was signed last season on a free transfer, so the proceed from his transfer will be pure profits for the La Liga side.
Barcelona’s Activity in the Transfer Market This Summer
With Kessie’s transfer reported to be nearing completion and Ousmane Dembele also expected to move to Paris Saint-German, there will be a significant financial boost for the five-time Champions League winners. The proceeds from both transfers are expected to be close to £56 million. This inflow is allowing the club to ramp up efforts to sign Manchester City’s Joao Cancelo.
The Spanish club has already offloaded Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba who were on big-money contracts and have signed Ilkay Gundogan and Inigo Martinez to bolster their squad this summer.
Main image credit: Memolands Gallery, CC BY-SA 2.0.
