Al Ahli have reached an agreement with Barcelona to sign Ivorian midfielder Franck Kessie for a fee of €15 million.
Kessie will sign a three-year deal with Al Ahli, which will keep him at the Jeddah based club until June 2026.
Franck Kessie has made 43 appearances for Barcelona, scoring 3 goals and providing 3 assists across all competitions.
The Ivory Coast International joined the Catalan giants from AC Milan on July 4, 2022 on a free transfer.
He was impressive for the Spanish side last term, helping the club win the 2022/23 La Liga title.
Kessie’s departure would be helpful to Barcelona’s financial muscle as they would be making a huge saving on the midfielder’s wages.
The 26-year-old was earning €7 million at the Camp Nou club but that would not be their responsibility in the nearest future.
Al Ahli sign Franck Kessie
However, Franck Kessie is also set to see his wage experience an astronomical increase as he would be earning €20 million per season at Al Ahli.
Kessie has been a mainstay in the squad of Barcelona, complementing the side from the bench.
However, he hasn’t been able to perform optimally like he did at AC Milan, helping the Serie A club win the Scudetto in his last season at the San Siro.
The former Atalanta midfielder will become Al Ahli’s 8th signing of the summer, having already signed Edouard Mendy, Roberto Firmino, Riyad Mahrez and Allan Saint-Maximin.
The Saudi Arabian side have also acquired the services of Sumaihan Al-Nabit, Fahad Al-Rashidi and Abdullah Otayf this summer.
Franck Kessie will also become the latest high-profile player to join the Saudi Pro League this summer, having witnessed the arrival of Karim Benzema, Sadio Mane, N’Golo Kante, Fabinho, Kalidou Koulibaly and many others.
Al Ahli have continued to make needed reinforcements which come in handy during the 2023/24 season.
They have a lethal attacking trio of Riyad Mahrez, Allan Saint-Maximin and Roberto Firmino
The signing of Kessie is expected to provide solidity and creativity in midfield as they aim to achieve success during the 2023/24 season.
Are Al Ahli aiming to win the Saudi Pro League?
Despite just returning to the top-flight of the Saudi Arabian football pyramid, they would be eyeing to win the Saudi Pro League due to the type of signings made.
However, Al Ahli have several other top teams to contend with, including; Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ettifaq and Al Ittihad.
These are teams that have also made quality reinforcements this summer and are also aiming to win the Pro League title.
Franck Kessie began his career at Ivorian side Stella Club, before joining Atalanta on the 1st of July, 2015 for a fee of €1.5 million.
The midfielder has also played for several clubs in his career, including; Cesena and AC Milan.
Kessie has made 344 appearances so far in his career, scoring 51 goals and providing 25 goals across all competitions.
Franck Kessie net worth?
Kessie’s net worth is estimated to be within the region of €40 million – €50 million.
Franck Kessie’s wife?
The 26-year-old is married to Joelle Kessie and she was brought up in a surbub called Yopougon in Cote D’Ivoire.
