AC Milan are looking to keep Franck Kessié and protect their interests by locking him down to a new deal in order to not lose him on a free transfer next year.
The former Atalanta midfielder is a fundamental piece in coach Stefano Pioli's system. The player has been crucial under the guidance of the Italian technician in the double pivot role in the 4-2-3-1 formation.
Reports have claimed that, for now, there remains a considerable distance between Milan's offer and the demand of Kessié's entourage in order to sign the deal.
An interesting background has now been revealed by Calciomercato.com on a renewal attempt for Kessié launched by Mirabelli when he was in charge with the Chinese ownership, which was blocked by Paolo Maldini and Elliott when they took over.
In fact, the website claims that Kessié could have signed, back then, on a contract until 2023 had Maldini continued the talks with the player's entourage that Mirabelli started. The new deal would have seen Kessié earn just around 3 million euros.
However, Kessié's position in the club was not as highly valued then as it is now, which is why the management blocked the deal from being completed. The midfielder was even close to being sold to Monaco.
Now, as the source reminds us, the 3 million euros salary per season are no longer enough to keep the player at Milanello and it should cost around double to satisfy the agent's demand.
The managers of the club at Casa Milan should soon carry out contacts and try to get close to the financial requests of the player and his representative. Kessié is confidentially awaiting a phone call, concludes the report.
