Franck Kessié left his native Ivory Coast when he was 18 years old.
He had already made appearances for his country at senior level before he made the move to Italy in 2015.
Despite some struggles adapting to Italian football, the 24-year-old has become one of the best midfielders in Serie A.
Kessié might have drawn the ire of Rossoneri fans in the past but the Ivorian has developed into one of the club’s unsung heroes.
While a player like Ibrahimović might grab the headlines, the central midfielder frequently does his business without needing attention.
Off the field, there has been speculation regarding his future at the club.
His contract expires in June 2022.
Media reports suggest that AC Milan was offering him €6.5 million but he reportedly wanted €8 million per season.
That is why Barcelona’s string of free signings is rumoured to be continuing with the Ivorian midfielder.
The 25-year-old is a recognisable name, but with his Champions League debut coming only this season, he has not quite had the eyes of most fans truly analysing and scrutinising him.
As such, this tactical analysis in form of a scout report will provide some insight into Barça’s potentially newest midfielder.
In this analysis, we will discuss Kessie’s role in Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan tactics, what his strengths are, and how he could fit in at Camp Nou.
Franck Kessié Position at AC Milan
Kessié has worked with four coaches at AC Milan – Vincenzo Montella, Gennaro Gattuso, Marco Giampaolo, and Stefano Pioli – and he has truly thrived under the latter.
Giampaolo was employed in the early stages of the 2019/20 campaign but the squad struggled to fit into his 4-3-1-2 formation.
Under Pioli, Kessié has featured in a double pivot in midfield beside Algerian international Ismaël Bennacer.
The Ivorian does the ball-winning in the middle of the park while Bennacer controls the play from deep positions and the duo have complimented each other nicely.
Franck Kessié In possession
When Milan have the ball, they tend to start in a base 4-2-3-1 shape.
Kessie mainly operates as the left half of the team’s double pivot.
When building out from the back, he initially helps form a box or 2-2 structure with the centre backs.
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