In the middle of the afternoon, the photo of Franck Kessié disappeared from the LaLiga registration page. The Ivorian midfielder decided to listen to Xavi Hernández when he told him that with the high number of midfielders he has - Pedri, Gavi, De Jong, Gündogan, Oriol Romeu and Sergi Roberto - to which one more midfielder could be added, Kessié would have a very difficult time participate this course.
At the age of 26, the footballer leaves for Saudi Al-Ahli and leaves 12.5 million euros in the box. He arrived free a year ago from Milan. A round operation for the economy of FC Barcelona, in need of income to be able to register and sign players.
Saudi Arabia was not Kessié's priority destination. His intentions were to sign for a team in Europe, the Premier League being especially attractive to him. However, the only firm offer he received was from Juventus. The player did not want to return to Italy after his time at Milan and decided to accept Al-Ahlí's three-year offer. Local media in the country point out that he will enter 20 million per season. Sportingly, he will share a dressing room with footballers of the stature of Mahrez, Mendy, Saint Maximin or Firmino among others, also attracted by the Saudi league.
Kessié, who passed her medical examination in Paris on Monday, returned to Barcelona today to say goodbye to her teammates. He leaves a good image at FC Barcelona with three goals, three assists and always a professional behaviour. The goal that he scored against Real Madrid in discount (2-1) in the second leg of the League (matchday 26) was celebrated madly at the Camp Nou because it gave the feeling that he was handing over half a championship or more to the memory. Barça, as it was. Despite his correct performance, his profile as a midfielder did not fit Xavi's stylistic parameters. The idea of turning him into a Yayá Touré did not work out.
Beyond Kessié, Barcelona continues to work to close the transfer of Dembélé to PSG and to activate the sale of 16% of Barça Studios to a German fund for an immediate 60 million euros. The objective of both movements is to obtain new income and, as a consequence, be able to register the seven pending footballers. They are the newcomers Oriol Romeu, Gündogan and Iñigo Martínez and the renewed Araújo, Sergi Roberto, Marcos Alonso and Iñaki Peña. They are also waiting for Alejandro Balde and Lamine Yamal, who before traveling to the tour signed a pre-renewal agreement. Bucket until 2028 and Lamine Yamal for three more years. Both renovations should close this month.
"Dembélé is already in Paris", slipped the director of football Mateu Alemany after the Gamper. The French winger, who no longer has an assigned number on the LaLiga website, took a flight at the same time that the public address system at the Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc announced the names of the players. Nobody came out with the number 7 shirt. "We still cannot say the amounts of the transfer," said Alemany who is leading the negotiations.
It should be remembered that in the Frenchman's renewal contract, Barça agreed to include a mandatory transfer clause. If the player notified before July 31 that he had a proposal, he could leave by entering 25 million of the 50 that Barça will receive. But the sports leadership considers that the open negotiations between Dembélé and PSG do not conform to the wording of the clause and seek to enter the 50 million in full. Since June 28, clubs can use 50% of what they save in salaries such as those of Lenglet, Dest or Kessié to make new hires. This percentage goes up to 60% if the player represents more than 5% of the cost of the sports squad. It is the case of Dembélé.
