Franck Kessie ‘Reluctant’ to Sign New Deal at AC Milan

Negotiations between AC Milan and Franck Kessie over a contract extension have hit a standstill amid growing foreign interest in the midfielder.

According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Kessie has yet to commit to a new deal at the San Siro despite Milan’s relentless attempts to tie him down to a new contract.

The Ivory Coast international has just over half a year left to run on his current contract, which puts the Rossoneri in an awkward spot going into the January transfer window.

Kessie will be able to negotiate personal terms with foreign sides from the start of January, and Milan are desperate to convince him to pledge his future to the club before that.

After losing the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma and Hakan Calhanoglu on free transfers in the summer, last season’s Serie A runners-up are keen to avoid a similar situation with the 24-year-old midfielder.

However, the Ivorian continues to play hardball over committing to a new deal as he aims for a substantial pay rise.

Kessie currently earns around €4.5m per year at the San Siro, but he reportedly pressures Milan to double his salary in order to put pen to paper on a new contract.

In the meantime, the Rossoneri are reluctant to go beyond €6.5m, which has thrown the ex-Atalanta man’s future in Lombardy into a corridor of doubt.

Per Spanish outlet Diario AS, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are keeping close tabs on Kessie’s situation and could go head-to-head for his signature come the summer of 2022.

In addition to the two European heavyweights, Liverpool and Tottenham are also interested in capturing the midfielder’s services.

Both Premier League sides were heavily linked with a move for Kessie in the summer, but they failed to concretize their interest in one of the finest Serie A midfielders.