Summary Tottenham Hotspur are targeting Franck Kessie as a possible replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, according to reports. Spurs have had a solid transfer window so far, signing Vicario, Maddison, and Solomon. Kessie has shown his abilities with 13 goals and four assists for AC Milan last season, attracting praise from former Spurs player Paul Robinson.
Tottenham Hotspur are targeting Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie as a possible replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, according to reports.
Who will Spurs sign?
The Lilywhites have enjoyed a solid 2023 summer transfer window so far, having completed deals for goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, playmaker James Maddison and winger Manor Solomon.
Vicario, who could well succeed long-serving number one Hugo Lloris between the sticks, was an arguable bargain from Empoli at around £17.2 million while Spurs also managed to sign Maddison for just £45m.
Solomon, meanwhile, put pen to paper on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk – meaning the north Londoners have spent just over £60 million – not including the permanent deal fees for Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro.
Ange Postecoglou, speaking to the media recently, was left thrilled with his side's capture of Maddison in particular – having claimed the England international could provide a much-needed spark of creativity.
“Really excited to get James as part of the group," said Ange.
"Any manager will tell you that part of the key to being a dominant team is having multiple attacking threats and having a midfielder who can score and create goals.
“They’re not easy to come by. He’s proven himself at that level in the last few years as somebody who can do that. When you look at Tottenham the last few years, they’ve been really reliant on the front three to get their goals.
“I thought it was a really good fit for us."
Spurs are certainly not done there, though, with Postecoglou chasing central defensive additions and potential midfield signings to replace the exit-linked Hojbjerg.
There are a fair few centre-back candidates, including Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven, Edmond Tapsoba of Bayer Leverkusen, Fulham's Tosin Adarabioyo, Lenglet, Galatasary's Victor Nelsson and Juventus defender Gleison Bremer, who have all been linked.
In midfield, the likes of Conor Gallagher have been mentioned, but journalist Rudy Galetti now says that Spurs have Ivory Coast international Kessie on their radar too.
"Tottenham are now open to evaluate offers for Hojbjerg," wrote the reporter on Twitter.
"The CM – in talks with Atleti on personal terms – could leave this summer if THFC will receive a suitable bid.
"In the list of the club as possible replacement – among others – there is also Kessie."
How good is Franck Kessie?
The £199,000-per-week midfielder featured over 28 La Liga matches last season for Barca, but he couldn't quite showcase his true ability as the vast majority came as a substitute (WhoScored).
Over the 2020/2021 season, which was arguably his best, Kessie bagged 13 goals and four assists in 36 league starts for AC Milan (WhoScored).
Form like this attracted praise from Spurs pundits like former keeper Paul Robinson, who claimed late last year that Kessie would be a great fit for Tottenham.
"Kessie would fit the bill," said Robinson to Football Insider.
"He is strong, quick and effective at both ends of the pitch. He ticks a lot of boxes.
“There is no doubting that he is an amazing player. The question is, would he come in and command a starting spot? Hojbjerg and Bentancur have done extremely well. [Yves] Bissouma has struggled to get a look in at times.
“Would Kessie upset that midfield? Maybe but I don’t think it’s a certainty. It’s really important that Spurs sign better than what they already have."