Chelsea loanee ideal to replace AC Milan star amid new contract talks
Firstly, in his dominant performance against Cagliari and then in Milan’s Europa League opener against Dudelange, with Kessie now awaiting the clash against his ex-team, Atalanta. The player has shown exponential growth, with Gattuso working specifically with the player, but not only, even the market plays a key factor.
Gattuso’s idea is to use Kessie to make quantities not only in covered kilometers but also, and above all, in the possession phase. It is not by chance that Kessie is pushed by Gattuso to insert himself without the ball or to use his physicality to carry the ball and open spaces to the wingers or fullbacks. This was also clearly seen in Cagliari.
Physicality based on an optimal athletic condition, which was missed in the second half of the season, and here the market comes into play with the arrival of Tiemoue Bakayoko. Initially he was tried in front of the defense as an alternative to Biglia. But the French player is gradually changing his position to become the perfect alternative to Kessie.
“I expect more insertions. I liked him [Bakayoko] a lot at the tactical and technical level. He has great physicality. When he is on the ball he does not seem technical, but he is,” Gattuso promoted the midfielder after the match against Dudelange.
He also gave a clear indication: the requests for Bakayoko’s movements are the same ones made to Kessie at the beginning of the year. This is a further signal of how the objective is to form a double that can alternate so that the Ivorian can catch his breath in matches of less importance and thus maintain a perfect athletic condition.
The market also comes into action while speaking about the future of Kessie, the pillar of the present and future for the Rossoneri. And the club has a clear idea: the player’s contract will be renewed, it will be extended by one season compared to the current expiration in June 2022 with an adjustment of the current 2.2 million per year salary.
The timing and dates for the meetings with the agent George Atangana remain to be planned, but Milan are in a hurry, not to risk that the growth can attract new dangerous suitors.