Franck Kessié, a dramatic twist: another Serie A club enters the fray unexpectedly

A sensational twist in the race for Franck Kessié. In fact, in the last few hours, Atalanta has unexpectedly entered the fray, radically changing a scenario that seemed to be heading toward Roma given the Ivorian’s firm rejection of Juventus’s offer. According to Sky Sport, the Bergamo-based club has initiated direct contact with the midfielder’s representatives, exploring the possibility of a return to Bergamo—a move that came when no one expected it.

Atalanta’s sudden entry into the fray has thus thrown everything into question. Kessié is familiar with the environment and left a great impression at a club where he established himself during the 2016–2017 season, with 30 appearances and 6 goals in a league campaign that saw Atalanta finish in fourth place—enough to convince Milan to invest, during the summer of “formalities,” 28 million euros.

The news of Atalanta’s interest came just a few hours after the Ivorian player’s representatives had communicated their “no” to Juventus. Juventus was convinced it had met the player’s demands across the board, with an offer of 4.5 million euros per season, including bonuses, for two years plus an option for a third. The midfielder, born in 1996, however, pulled the brakes at the last minute, catching the Old Lady off guard; she is now forced to look elsewhere with very few days left to strengthen her midfield.

As for Roma, however, Atalanta’s sudden move hasn’t stopped the Giallorossi from keeping the lines of communication open with Kessié: The Rome-based club is banking primarily on the presence of Gian Piero Gasperini on the bench—who coached him in Bergamo and still holds him in high regard—but a misstep by Cristiano Giuntoli, Atalanta’s transfer guru, may have rendered all of Roma’s efforts to date futile.