'Interested': Antonio Conte absolutely loves 25-year-old midfielder, Tottenham still want to sign him - journalist

By Milo Clay

Sky Sports journalist Lyall Thomas claims Antonio Conte absolutely loves Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie and Tottenham Hotspur still want to sign him. 

Spurs are in desperate need of reinforcements this month as they have slowly slipped down the Premier League table after a promising start to the campaign. 

Conte’s men dropped out of the top-four over the weekend after a lacklustre performance against Aston Villa where they conceded the first goal of the game for the tenth match in a row in all competitions. 

There’s glaring weaknesses at centre-back and right wing-back for Tottenham, as well as the need to sign another attacking player. 

But they have surprisingly been linked with a move for another midfielder in Kessie in recent days. Journalist Alfredo Martinez claimed last week that the north Londoners had launched a £13 million bid for the Barcelona star. 

Now, Thomas has suggested that Spurs are still interested in the 25-year-old after trying to sign him this time last year. 

Conte loves Kessie 

Thomas appeared on the Last Word On Spurs podcast on Monday and provided an update on Tottenham’s pursuit of the player. 

“They are still interested in the player. He is one of Conte and Patatici’s favourite players out there, Franck Kessie,” he said. 

“They tried to get him last January but he was talking to Barcelona, and signed a pre-contract with them and joined them in the summer.

“I was surprised to see that report about Kessie, as he has been doing okay out there. I’m not aware that is on the cards but I haven’t probed very deeply into that one or that name just because of that.” 

Kessie made the switch to Barca over the summer after leaving AC Milan on a free transfer. The Ivory Coast international has struggled to nail down a starting place under Xavi after being a standout performer in Italy. 

Tottenham seem well-stocked in the midfield department at the moment after the club have signed both Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur over the past year. 

But with Bissouma failing to produce the form he managed for Brighton, Kessie could be an attractive option for Conte, especially if he was available for cheap. 

It seems unlikely that Barca would accept a bid as low as £13 million after the player only signed for the club over the summer. His contract at Camp Nou is set to run until 2026 as well, meaning Spurs may have to significantly up their offer. 

But for now, Tottenham should be prioritising areas on the pitch where Conte is most in need of reinforcements, like right wing-back. While Kessie would be a brilliant addition to the midfield, the defence seems like a more pressing concern at the moment.