Barcelona put Tottenham target up for sale, Xavi has green-lighted his departure

In a huge development, Ferran Correas of SPORT is reporting that Barcelona have decided to put midfielder Franck Kessie up for sale, with manager Xavi Hernandez green-lighting his departure this summer.

Kessie only joined Barcelona last summer, arriving on a free transfer after his contract at AC Milan had expired. The 26-year-old Ivorian endured a tough start to life at Spotify Camp Nou initially, as minutes were hard to come by.

It sparked rumours of an exit in January, with Inter Milan being keen on signing him. But a move did not materialise and Kessie stayed put at Barça.

Over the past few months, the Ivory Coast international has grown in stature in Xavi’s team. In total, he has made 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring and assisting three goals apiece.

However, it seems like Kessie, despite his improved performances, is seen as a dispensable member of the squad by manager Xavi.

The Catalans need to make player sales this summer in order to generate cash as well as cut their salary budget.

And given that Kessie arrived for free, the entire fee that the club receive for him will be chalked down as net profit in the ledgers, which will help with the FFP problems.

Furthermore, Kessie has no shortage of suitors heading into the summer, with Inter Milan still keen, while more recently the likes of Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus have also entered the race to sign the midfielder.

Kessie has been unable to carve out a place for himself in Xavi’s plans this season, even when the likes of Pedri and Frenkie de Jong have been injured. And with the club working on the signing of Ilkay Gundogan, the manager believes that he will have enough options for the interior midfield positions.

Hence, Xavi has given his okay to put Kessie on the transfer market this summer. It has previously been reported that the Blaugrana could demand around €25-30 million for the midfielder. What now remains to be seen is whether any of his suitors are willing to match that fee.