Aston Villa are reportedly interested in Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie as the Catalan giants bid to offload talent due to financial pressures.
Unai Emery and Monchi are more than familiar with identifying talent in LaLiga, with the two holding extensive experience in Spain which could now be transferred to the Midlands.
With Pau Torres reportedly en route to Villa Park, the Villans could pull off a masterclass in exploring Kessie, who could seriously bolster Emery’s midfield.
Could Aston Villa sign Franck Kessie?
Reports from Spain claim that Emery is an admirer of the Ivory Coast international, claiming that the Spaniard ‘wants’ the midfielder in his squad.
It’s also thought that the Spanish champions would not be open to selling the 26-year-old for a price below €30m (£26m), with the report speculating that negotiations ‘are open’ between the two clubs.
Valued by FootballTransfers at €36.8m (£31.4m), Monchi could capitalise on Barcelona’s struggles by snatching the talent at a lesser price than his market value.
How good is Franck Kessie?
Having been previously lauded as a “warrior” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the Ivory Coast machine has worked his way to being regarded as a top midfielder in Europe by developing his career in Italy.
Signed by Barcelona last summer from AC Milan, the 26-year-old titan was initially signed by Milan on a two-year-loan deal with an obligation to buy from Atalanta, however after one season in LaLiga, Kessie could be on the move again.
Making just seven league starts in his debut campaign in Spain, the midfielder averaged just 36 minutes per game placing him further away from contention for a starting spot at the soon-to-be revamped Camp Nou.
Barcelona’s financial pressures off the pitch could come as a plus for Villa, who had Kessie on their radar prior to the January window as the Spanish giants were speculated to have interest in Douglas Luiz.
Monchi could win the battle for the Ouragahio-born gem by capturing his signature to play alongside Luiz at Villa Park.
Deployable as a more attack-minded central midfielder, Emery could unearth a stylish pivot between the Barcelona whiz and the Brazilian, who has been defensively solid for Villa in the Premier League.
The 2020/21 Serie A campaign was a dominant one for Kessie in the final third, highlighting his ability going forward, scoring 13 goals and registering six assists for Milan, via Transfermarkt.
Displaying a passing accuracy of 85.6% in LaLiga last season, the 6-foot midfielder excels in all areas required in the engine room, averaging 1.36 tackles per 90 as well as being an assured passer.
Also hailed as being a player that “controls and leads” in midfield by writer Maxi Angelo, Villa could equip Luiz with a similarly rounded talent, after the 25-year-old shone during Emery’s first season at Villa Park.
With an average match rating of 7.10 last term, the Brazilian gem was a reliable figure in midfield in claret and blue, and could have his ability furthered with the presence of Kessie.
Having registered as many as six goals and six assists for the Villans last campaign, Luiz is similarly effective in the final third to Kessie, as well as being defensively competent.
Winning 52% of his total duels during the 2022/23 Premier League season, Emery could add a similar calibre of player to partner the Brazilian to allow him to explore new levels to his individual game.
It could be a smart move for Monchi to explore the availability of Kessie, who could depart the Catalan giants for a slim price this summer.