FC Barcelona sign Franck Kessie

FC Barcelona and Franck Yannick Kessie have reached an agreement for the player to join Barça after the end of his contract with AC Milan. 

The player will sign a contract until 30 June 2026 and his buy out clause will be set at 500 million euros. 

On Wednesday 6 July Franck Yannick Kessie's presentation as a new Barça player will take place with the following agenda: 

-11:00am CEST Private signing of contract at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper offices. 

-11:30am  Player comes out on to the Tito Vilanova training pitch wearing the first kit for the 22/23 season.

-12.15pm Press conference at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper press room.

The presentation will be broadcast live on Barça TV+ around the world and can also be followed live on the FC Barcelona official digital channels.  

A strong midfielder with tactical awareness

Franck Kessie was born on 19 December 1996 in Ouragahio in the Ivory Coast. The midfielder started his career at Stella Club d'Adjame in his home country before moving to Italy in 2014 to sign for Atalanta. 

Kessie started in the youth teams at the Bergamo based club and he soon made the jump to professional level with a loan move to Serie B side Cesena. The Ivorian played in midfield and at centre back for the Emilia Romagna club and impressed enough for new Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini to bring him back to Bergamo with Kessie gradually becoming an important first team squad member after scoring twice on his Serie A debut. 

After an excellent 2016/17 season with Atalanta,K essie attracted the attention of Serie A giants AC Milan. The midfielder signed for the rossoneri in 2017 on loan before the move was made permanent in the summer of 2019, Milan paying 33 million euros for Kessié. 

His five seasons with AC Milan showed Kessie to be the complete midfielder, scoring goals, providing assists and working hard defensively. His time at Milan ended on a high with the Ivory Coast international helping the club to their first Serie A title in 11 season in 2021/22. 

The complete package 

Franck Kessie is a player who contribute in attack and in defence. Capable of winning the ball back in midfield, the African midfielder also has impressive stats as a goalscorer, partly due to his ability to make runs into the penalty area.