Franck Kessié has not been a bad deal for FC Barcelona. A club accustomed to collecting rather ruinous operations, the passage of the Ivorian midfielder, who has only been wearing Blaugrana for a year, can be considered benign by most comparisons. Kessié landed last summer on a free contract from Milan, performed his role as a wild card effectively and without causing problems, and will go elsewhere leaving money in the coffers. The club's sports leadership expected to close the operation today and receive between 10 and 15 million euros after negotiating with the Saudi Al-Ahli. The amount may not be exaggerated (Kessié is 26 years old and maintains a good record, because he has not been a troupe with Xavi), but it is better than nothing.
Kessié wanted more minutes, but Xavi could no longer guarantee them. The pre-season served as an informative capsule for the player: he has played only half of three games. The Ivorian had the idea of trying English football until the Saudis appeared with a suitcase full of tickets. Al-Ahli offers him a net salary of around 14 million euros, double what he earns at Camp Nou. The temptation is too powerful and overcomes moral considerations, if there are any. The Saudi Super League, the latest phenomenon generated by petrodollars, will start next Friday with a good number of footballers such as Kessié, young people with promising performances in the most competitive European football, but kidnapped by capital.
Kessié's footballing legacy at Barça will not be written in gold letters in the Camp Nou museum, but it should not be underestimated either. Three goals and three assists and always professional behavior. His profile as a midfielder did not fit Xavi's stylistic parameters, but when he came out he was never completely out of tune. Of course, the idea of turning him into a Yayá Touré or, at the very least, a Keita suited him. The best moment of his short time at Barcelona was, without a doubt, the goal he scored against Madrid in added time (2-1) in the La Liga second leg (matchday 26) celebrated wildly at the Camp Nou because it felt like he was delivering half a championship or more to Barça, as it was in the end.
With the transfer of Kessié, expected, and that of Dembélé, surprising, the board of FC Barcelona hopes to be able to clean up the composition of its squad by registering all the players pending renewal or signed this summer. It must be remembered that Barça still today does not comply with the conditions of fair play and only has thirteen footballers registered, including Kessié, who is leaving.
Despite the borderline situation that seems to mark the club's day-to-day life, Xavi Hernández does not give up on improving the squad and neither do those who should hold him back. Under the guidance of Mateu Alemany, the club's football director, and Deco, the new sports director, the idea is to try to obtain enough financial surplus to tackle some more operations. The desire of the maximum asks to obtain the services of Bernardo Silva, despite the fact that Manchester City, according to sources consulted by this newspaper, refuses to sell him. To undertake this or another operation aimed at compensating for Dembélé's departure or filling vacant positions such as that of another midfielder or a natural right-back, the board would have to resolve an issue in which confusion reigns. A few days ago it was taken for granted that an economic agreement had been reached to activate a new multimillion-dollar lever arising from the resale of 16% of Barça Studios, but today the club's watchword is to say nothing when asked about how this issue is evolving. On the other hand, Barça and Dembélé continue to negotiate what percentage of the 50 million that PSG will pay each keeps.
