Barcelona midfielder set to snub Tottenham and Juventus for Saudi Arabia move

Ayoola Kelechi 10:19 - 04 August 2023

Barcelona's Franck Kessie is on his way to Al Ahli | Imago

Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie is on the verge of joining Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli to team up with fellow African stars Edouard Mendy and Riyad Mahrez

Barcelona’s Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie is reportedly set to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli after rejecting advances from English side Tottenham and Italian giants Juventus.

Kessie set to join Al Ahli from Barcelona

The former AC Milan midfielder was thought to be disillusioned with his lack of playing time at Barcelona after one season at the club, leading him to seek alternatives elsewhere,

Kessie played 43 games for Barcelona in the 2022/23 season but started only 16 games, and did not accumulate up to 2,000 combined minutes of play in all competitions, leaving the midfielder dissatisfied with his time in Spain.

The Ivory Coast international reportedly had opportunities to move back to Italy with Juventus or pitch his tent in the Premier League with Tottenham but instead opted for a move to the rising Saudi Pro League with Al Ahli.

Kessie joins league of stars with Al Ahli move

According to Fabrizio Romano, Kessie will join the Saudi Arabian club from Barcelona in a €15m deal to become the latest addition to the Saudi Pro League’s roster of stars.

🚨 Franck Kessié to Al Ahli, here we go! Verbal agreement finally reached with Barcelona for fee around €15m 🟢🇸🇦

Al Ahli and Barça remain in contact to check the documents then sign the deal in the next hours.

Kessié will put paper on three year deal, valid until June 2026. pic.twitter.com/xEb5lq0Jhi
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 4, 2023

At Al Ahli, he will join former Premier League stars Roberto Firmino, Edouard Mendy, Riyad Mahrez, and Allan Saint-Maximin as The Royal Saudi club aim to make a big impact in their first season since being promoted from the second division.

Kessie will be glad to put an end to a miserable spell at Barcelona, while the Catalans will be glad to receive some income from the transfer as they continue their fight to remain financially viable and abreast of LaLiga’s financial fair play rules.